| · NHS Covid 19 app – available from Thursday· Remember to keep your distance
· Dispose of face coverings the right way
· Test and Trace support payments
· Dispose of sharp objects responsibly
· Have you updated your voter details?
· Our public meetings |
The NHS Covid 19 app available from Thursday
You’ll be able to get the NHS Covid 19 app this Thursday (24 September).
The app will be a vital tool in the fight against coronavirus with features that help you protect the ones you love:
| · Find out the level of coronavirus risk in your postcode area
· Get alerted if you’ve been near other app users who have tested positive for coronavirus
· Get alerted if you have visited a venue where you may have come into contact with coronavirus
· Check if you have coronavirus symptoms and see if you need to order a free test
· Book a test if you need one and get your result quickly
· Keep track of your self-isolation countdown and get useful advice. |
We’ll be sending you more information about how to get the app and how to use it on Thursday.
https://covid19.nhs.uk/what-the-app-does.html
Businesses and venues should get ready for the NHS Covid 19 app by downloading their NHS QR posters, making it easier for customers to safely check in and be alerted in the event of a coronavirus outbreak. https://www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
Remember to keep your distance
We all have a part to play in stopping the spread of coronavirus.
Social distancing is still important and we must continue to keep our distance from people we don’t live with. This will slow the spread of coronavirus.
Keep 2m from other people where possible or 1m plus extra precautions (wear a face mask, meet outside, keep interactions brief).
Dispose of face coverings the right way
There are some places where you must wear a face covering by law (unless you are exempt) including public transport, supermarkets, shops, and places of worship.
The face covering should cover your nose and mouth.
A full list of places a face covering must be worn is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own
Use reusable face coverings if you can, but if you do use disposable ones, please put them in a litter bin when you have finished using them.
Disposable face coverings create waste because they should only be used once and then thrown away safely. And one study* has found that if everyone in the UK used one single-use face covering each day for a year, it would create 66,000 tonnes of plastic waste that cannot be recycled.
Our streetscene and open spaces teams have noticed an increase in discarded disposable face coverings. If there is no litter bin, take your face covering home with you to dispose of in your black sack, not in the recycling – do not drop them as litter.
Study: UCL https://www.plasticwastehub.org.uk/news/the-environmental-dangers-of-employing-single-use-face-masks-as-part-of-a-covid-19-exit-strategy
Test and Trace support payments
The government has announced a Test and Trace Support Payment to support people on low incomes who have tested positive for COVID-19 and are having to self-isolate.
To be eligible for this one-off payment you must:
| · have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace because you have tested positive for coronavirus or have recently been in close contact with someone who has tested positive
· be employed or self-employed
· be unable to work from home and will lose income as a result, and
· be currently getting Universal Credit, Working Tax Credit, income-based Employment and Support Allowance, income-based Jobseekers Allowance, Income Support, Housing Benefit and/or Pension Credit |
If you meet the above eligibility criteria you will be entitled to a lump-sum payment of £500.
You can apply for the payment online, or by telephone, and you will have to supply supporting information including your NHS Test and Trace Unique ID number, bank statements and proof of employment or self-employment.
The scheme is due to start on 28 September 2020, with payments being made in October, and is due to end on 31 January 2021.
Please see https://newforest.gov.uk/article/1012/Welfare-benefits-and-debt-advice
Dispose of sharp objects responsibly
Sharp objects in your recycling or waste sack can cause serious injury to our staff.
Medical syringes should never be placed in your waste sacks. If you have healthcare treatment at home please apply for our free healthcare waste collection service. https://newforest.gov.uk/article/983/Healthcare-Waste-Collection
We will give you a sharps bin to dispose of your used needles responsibly.
Any broken glass or ceramics should be wrapped securely before being placed in your black sack.
More information on rubbish and recycling is at https://newforest.gov.uk/rubbish
Have you updated your voter details?
We’ve been contacting households across the district to make sure people are properly registered to vote.
We have to do this every year by law. If you get a reminder from us in the next couple of weeks, please follow the instructions on the form.
If you need to respond, the easiest way is to do it online.
This year, more than ever, it’s important that you respond when we ask so that we can avoid having to contact you in person, at your property, and help keep everyone safe.
https://newforest.gov.uk/article/1619/Household-Canvass-2020
Our Public meetings
Our public meetings are streamed live on YouTube, and available to watch back at a later date.
| · 24 September – Corporate overview and scrutiny panel
· 7 October – Cabinet
· 12 October – Council
· 14 October – Planning committee
· 15 October – Special environment overview and scrutiny panel |
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