The Parish Council have created this page so that useful information can be stored in an easily remembered place.
Friday 25th March 2022:
Key messages
The best way to protect yourself and your family from serious illness is to get vaccinated, so the spring booster is now being rolled out by GPs to those who are eligible:
– those most vulnerable to COVID-19; – those aged 75 and over; – residents of care homes; and – people aged 12 and over who have a weakened immune system.
There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
– At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment – At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119) – Visit a drop-in clinic.
COVID-19 guidance, as defined by the Government, is:
– You do not legally have to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days. Guidance for health and social care settings has not yet changed and people should refer to gov.uk for guidance. – Routine contact tracing has ended. You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. – The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme has ended. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April. – The legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate has ended.
Remember, you can reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:
– Getting vaccinated – Meeting outdoors or letting fresh air in if meeting indoors – Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high – Staying at home if unwell – Taking a test if displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if testing positive – Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
Read more about the Government plan for Living with COVID-19.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 10 (Monday 9th March – Sunday 15thMarch) there were 6,910 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,449 were in Stroud
1,337 were in Cheltenham
1,143 were in Gloucester
1,117 were in Tewkesbury
1,018 were in Cotswold
846 were in Forest of Dean
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 09:00 24/03/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 811.7 in Gloucestershire, 817.3 in the South West, and 582.1 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 10 (Saturday 5th March– Friday 11th March) there were 13 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 10.9% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (8.4% of all deaths) in Week 9
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 12th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 813(7 new).
Friday 18th March 2022:
Key messages
From 4am on Friday 18 March, you will not need to take any COVID-19 tests or fill in a passenger locator form when travelling to the UK from abroad. These changes apply whether you are fully vaccinated or not.
Stay safe if you are visiting the Cheltenham Festival by:
– Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet – Staying at home if unwell – Taking a test before you go and staying at home if you are positive – Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
On 1 March, the Government announced the result of their consultation looking at the need for vaccinations as a condition of employment. Regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination to work in Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care homes to be lifted from 15 March. Legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed from 1 April to be removed. Find out more on the Government website.
Remember, you can reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:
Getting vaccinated
Meeting outdoors or letting fresh air in if meeting indoors
Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
Staying at home if unwell
Taking a test if displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if testing positive
Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
Read more about the Government plan for Living with COVID-19.
COVID-19 guidance, as defined by the Government, is:
You do not legally have to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days. Guidance for health and social care settings has not yet changed and people should refer to gov.uk for guidance.
Routine contact tracing has ended. You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme has ended. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April.
The legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate has ended.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 10 (Monday 7th March – Sunday 13th March) there were 5,960 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1233 were in Cheltenham
1219 were in Stroud
982 were in Gloucester
968 were in Tewkesbury
842 were in Cotswold
716 were in Forest of Dean
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 16/03/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 542.9 in Gloucestershire, 474.2 in the South West, and 351.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 9 (Saturday 26th February – Friday 4th March) there were 10 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.7% of all deaths, this compares with 13 (10.2% of all deaths) in Week 8
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 10th March they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 806 (18 new).
Friday 11th March 2022:
Key messages
On 1 March, the Government announced the result of their consultation looking at the need for vaccinations as a condition of employment. Regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination to work in Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care homes to be lifted from 15 March. Legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed from 1 April to be removed. Find out more on the Government website.
Remember, you can reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:
Getting vaccinated
Meeting outdoors or letting fresh air in if meeting indoors
Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people you do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
Staying at home if unwell
Taking a test if displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if testing positive
Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
Read more about the Government plan for Living with COVID-19.
COVID-19 guidance, as defined by the Government, is:
You do not legally have to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Adults and children who test positive are advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days. Guidance for health and social care settings has not yet changed and people should refer to gov.uk for guidance.
Routine contact tracing has ended. You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme has ended. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April.
The legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate has ended.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 10 (Monday 28th February – Sunday 6th March) there were 3,710 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
704 were in Stroud
662 were in Gloucester
612 were in Tewkesbury
464 were in Forest of Dean
766 were in Cheltenham
502 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 09/03/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 504.8 in Gloucestershire, 422.3 in the South West, and 322.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 8 (Saturday 19th February– Friday 25th February) there were 12 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 10.1% of all deaths, this compares with 8 (6.1% of all deaths) in Week 7
Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 5th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 788 (9 new).
Friday 4th March 2022:
Key messages
On 1 March, the Government announced the result of their consultation looking at the need for vaccinations as a condition of deployment. Regulations requiring COVID-19 vaccination to work in Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered care homes to be lifted from 15 March. Legal requirement for health and social care staff to be double jabbed from 1 April to be removed. Find out more on the Government website.
As England moves to the next phase of living with COVID-19, the Government will continue to rely on the public to adapt their behaviour. You can reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:
Getting vaccinated
Letting fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meeting outside
Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people they do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
Trying to stay at home if unwell
Taking a test if displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if testing positive
Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
Read more about the Government plan for Living with Covid-19.
From Thursday 24 February, COVID-19 guidance is changing:
You will not be legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Adults and children who test positive continue to be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days. Guidance for health and social care settings has not yet changed and people should refer to gov.uk for guidance.
Routine contact tracing will end. You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme will end. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April.
The legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate will end.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 8 (Monday 21st February – Sunday 27th February) there were 3,059 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
645 were in Cheltenham
575 were in Stroud
569 were in Gloucester
561 were in Tewkesbury
359 were in Forest of Dean
350 were in Cotswold
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 02/03/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 689.3 in Gloucestershire, 621.2 in the South West, and 444.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 7 (Saturday 12th January – Friday 18th February) there were 7 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 6.4% of all deaths, this compares with 11 (9.6% of all deaths) in Week 6
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 26th February they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
We are now looking at the CQC data on a monthly basis.
As previously the data is limited with no breakdown to district level and limited time series. In addition it only includes those who were resident in and died in a care home, so it does not include those residents in care homes who died in hospitals.
It is worth noting that in the week ending the 25th February there were 2 deaths from COVID19 in care homes this was lower than the previous week when the CQC data showed 7 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 453 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
We have:
Looked at how the weekly deaths of residents in care homes compares to the five year average. It is worth noting that there is a slight difference in the CQC data provides death by data of notification not when they actually occurred and the 5 year average looks at data of death. The number of deaths in the week ending the 25th February was lower than the 5 year average for the same period.
Looked at how we compare to statistical and nearest neighbours when expressed as a rate per 1,000 care beds. This again has limitations in that it will not reflect occupancy levels but is the best available. It shows when compared to our statistical neighbours Gloucestershire has the second highest rate of deaths from COVID19, the rate is lower than Leicestershire, but this difference is not significant.
When compared to nearest neighbours Gloucestershire has the fourth lowest rate of deaths with only Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire having lower rates.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 779 (8 new).
Friday 25th February 2022:
Key messages
On 21 February the Government published their plan for Living with COVID-19.
As England moves to the next phase of living with COVID-19, the Government will continue to rely on the public to adapt their behaviour. You can reduce the risk of catching and passing on COVID-19 by:
Getting vaccinated
Letting fresh air in if meeting indoors, or meeting outside
Wearing a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces, especially where coming into contact with people they do not usually meet and when rates of transmission are high
Trying to stay at home if unwell
Taking a test if displaying COVID-19 symptoms, and staying at home and avoiding contact with other people if testing positive
Washing hands and following advice to “Catch it, Bin it, Kill it”
From Thursday 24 February, COVID-19 guidance is changing:
You will not be legally required to self-isolate if you test positive for COVID-19. Adults and children who test positive continue to be advised to stay at home and avoid contact with other people for at least 5 full days and then continue to follow the guidance until they have received 2 negative test results on consecutive days.
Routine contact tracing will end. You will not have to take daily tests or be legally required to self-isolate following contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
The Test and Trace Support Payment Scheme will end. If you were told to self-isolate before 24 February you can still make a claim up to 6 April.
The legal obligation for individuals to tell their employers when they are required to self-isolate will end.
Guidance has now been removed for staff and students in most education and childcare settings to take a rapid test twice a week.
The Gloucestershire Community Help Hub has now closed. Thank you to everyone who helped promote the helpline when it was set up at the start of the pandemic, and thank you to all volunteers who signed up to help our communities via the portal.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 8 (Monday 14th February – Sunday 20th February) there were 4,056 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
837 were in Gloucester
822 were in Cheltenham
786 were in Stroud
674 were in Tewkesbury
483 were in Cotswold
454 were in Forest of Dean
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 16/02/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 879.7 in Gloucestershire, 787.9 in the South West, and 595.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 6 (Saturday 5th January – Friday 11th February) there were 10 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 9.2% of all deaths, this compares with 15 (12.3% of all deaths) in Week 5
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 19th February they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 771 (7 new).
Friday 18th February 2022:
Key messages
From Monday 21 February 2022, the Gloucestershire Community Help Hub will no longer be available. Thank you to everyone who helped promote the helpline when it was set up at the start of the pandemic, and thank you to all volunteers who signed up to help our communities via the portal.
The UKHSA is now reporting ‘episodes of Covid’ rather than positive cases. Data will now include those who have had the virus more than once. Keep up to date by checking the national dashboard regularly.
Following an announcement on 31 January by the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the legislation for mandatory vaccinations for some health and social care staff is being reconsidered. The consultation has closed. As we wait for more information from government, if you had planned to get vaccinated, we encourage you to do so.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
The vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds has restarted in Gloucestershire’s secondary schools, and parents will get more details directly from schools. Children aged 12 to 15 are also be able to attend a drop-in vaccination site with a parent or guardian.
Self-isolation is still a legal requirement if you have COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative with a rapid test on day 5 and day 6.
About 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have symptoms but can still infect others. Take a rapid lateral flow test before meeting up with friends and family – especially those who are vulnerable. You can collect tests from most pharmacies with a code – find out more online.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 7 (Monday 7th February – Sunday 13th February) there were 5,165 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,159 were in Gloucester
1,077 were in Cheltenham
944 were in Tewkesbury
835 were in Stroud
612 were in Forest of Dean
538 were in Cotswold
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 16/02/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 1229.1 in Gloucestershire, 1088.4 in the South West, and 907.6 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 5 (Saturday 29th January – Friday 4th February) there were 15 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 13.0% of all deaths, this compares with 4 (4.1% of all deaths) in Week 4
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 12th February they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 764 (9 new).
Friday 11th February 2022:
Key messages
The UKHSA is now reporting ‘episodes of Covid’ rather than positive cases. Data will now include those who have had the virus more than once. Gloucestershire’s total case numbers to date have increased as a result; take a look at the national dashboard for updates.
Following an announcement on 31 January by the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the legislation for mandatory vaccinations for some health and social care staff is being reconsidered. As we wait for more information from government, if you had planned to get vaccinated, we encourage you to do so. Read their consultation.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
The vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds has restarted in Gloucestershire’s secondary schools, and parents will get more details directly from schools. Children aged 12 to 15 are also be able to attend a drop-in vaccination site with a parent or guardian.
Self-isolation is still a legal requirement if you have COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative with a rapid test on day 5 and day 6.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 6 (Monday 31st January – Sunday 6th February) there were 7,105 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,626 were in Gloucester
1,434 were in Cheltenham
1,230 were in Tewkesbury
1,187 were in Stroud
871 were in Forest of Dean
757 were in Cotswold
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
(Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 02/02/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 1224.8 in Gloucestershire, 1154.8 in the South West, and 1094.9 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 4 (Saturday 16th January – Friday 28th January) there were 6 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 4.3% of all deaths, this compares with 12 (8.1% of all deaths) in Week 3
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 5th February they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death
certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 755 (11 new).
News from TBC:
Situation report • The South West currently has the second highest case rate in the country, with a rate per 100,000 of 1,027.2. • In Gloucestershire, there are 7,386 cases. The rate per 100,000 is 1,152.9. • In Tewkesbury Borough, cases have been consistently increasing since the start of the year. There are currently 1,246 cases. The rate per 100,000 is 1,289.5. Service delivery Housing: • The team has been preparing the county-wide Rough Sleepers Initiative funding bid for submission to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Communications: • A press release was issued at the start of February to promote the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund – a new support grant for businesses operating from business-rated premises. • The Test and Trace Support Fund continues to be promoted across our social media channels. Community and Economic Development Community Help Hub: • As of this week, the hub has officially closed due to decreased demand across the county. Household Support Grant – food and fuel support for vulnerable residents: • Letters have been sent to households in Bands A and B on Council Tax support. These households will receive either £20 supermarket vouchers for individuals and couples, or £40 supermarket vouchers for families. • Supermarket vouchers will also be offered to residents eligible for Test and Trace payments and those receiving housing advice. • Support is also being provided from Tewkesbury Foodbank (food and fuel vouchers), Hungry No More foodbank (food parcels) and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau (food and fuel vouchers). Residents need to be referred to these schemes via a referral agency e.g. a GP, health visitor or the police. • Further, wider support can be provided by Gloucestershire County Council. On Your Mind app: • The On Your Mind app has been launched to help young people access mental health support. Welcome Back Fund: • Promotional work to support a safe return to high-street shopping continues. The campaign – which focuses on a new brand incorporating the slogan ‘Re-discover Local’ – includes regular social media posts, publicity films, and promotional literature and handouts. • Other work includes events/markets, deep cleans of the three retail centres in Tewkesbury, Bishop’s Cleeve and Winchcombe, and training for businesses. • The fund is to be spent by the end of March 2022. Growth Hub: • Two of the Growth Hub’s incubator units – which provide office space to local businesses – have been leased. • The number of people calling into the hub to receive business advice and support continues to increase. • Attendees of Growth Hub events continue to provide very positive feedback. Revenues and Benefits • The closing date for applications to the Council Tax Hardship fund has been extended to 20 February 2022. This is to enable us to assist even more residents experiencing exceptional financial hardship. • The team is currently waiting on guidance from the government which will allow us to plan the delivery of the Council Tax Energy Bills rebate. Business • The Business Cell continues to receive a high number of applications for Test and Trace self isolation payments from residents on a low income who are required to self-isolate. • The Covid-19 Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant, which provides grant support to hospitality, leisure and accommodation businesses, remains open for applications until 18 March 2022. • The Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund, which provides business rate relief to businesses that have been unable to access previous Covid-19 business-rate relief schemes, is open to applications until 25 February 2022. This support is aimed at businesses that have been adversely affected by the pandemic and have been unable to adequately adapt to the impact
Friday 4th February 2022:
Key messages
On 31 January national guidance around visiting care homes was updated. Care homes are continuing to manage their own visiting procedures tailored alongside the guidance for what works for them and their residents, and we recommend anyone who visits a friend or relative check with their care home directly.
The UKHSA is now reporting ‘episodes’ of Covid rather than positive cases. Data will now include those who have had the virus more than once. Gloucestershire’s total case numbers to date have increased as a result; take a look at the national dashboard for updates.
Following an announcement on 31 January by the Health Secretary Sajid Javid, the legislation for mandatory vaccinations for some health and social care staff is being reconsidered. As we wait for more information from government, if you had planned to get vaccinated, we encourage you to do so.
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your family, your colleagues and friends from the virus. There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
The vaccination programme for 12 to 15-year-olds has restarted in Gloucestershire’s secondary schools, and parents will get more details directly from schools. Children aged 12 to 15 are also be able to attend a drop-in vaccination site with a parent or guardian.
Self-isolation is still a legal requirement if you have COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative with a rapid test on day 5 and day 6.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 5 (Monday 24th January – Sunday 30th January) there were 8,197 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,969 were in Gloucester
1,548 were in Cheltenham
1,383 were in Stroud
1,347 were in Tewkesbury
1,110 were in Forest of Dean
790 were in Cotswold
From 31 January 2022, UKHSA moved all COVID-19 case reporting in England to use a new episode-based definition which includes possible reinfections.
Infection episodes will be counted separately if there are at least 90 days between positive test results. Each episode begins with the earliest positive specimen date. If someone has another positive specimen within 90 days of the last one, this is included in the same episode. If they have another positive specimen more than 90 days after the last one, this is counted in a separate episode (a possible reinfection episode).
This means the number of cases reported in the early warning indicators and national comparator report will be higher than those reported in previously, as individuals who have been reinfected are now counted more than once.
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 02/02/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 1044.3 in Gloucestershire, 1014.9 in the South West, and 1120.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 3 (Saturday 15th January – Friday 21st January) there were 12 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.6% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (4.9% of all deaths) in Week 2
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 29th January they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority). Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this. We are now looking at the CQC data on a monthly basis. As previously the data is limited with no breakdown to district level and limited time series. In addition it only includes those who were resident in and died in a care home, so it does not include those residents in care homes who died in hospitals. It is worth noting that in the week ending the 28th January there were 3 death from COVID19 in care homes this was higher than the previous week when the CQC data showed 0 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 438 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
We have:
Looked at how the weekly deaths of residents in care homes compares to the five year average. It is worth noting that there is a slight difference in the CQC data provides death by data of notification not when they actually occurred and the 5 year average looks at data of death. The number of deaths in the week ending the 28th January was lower than the 5 year average for the same period.
Looked at how we compare to statistical and nearest neighbours when expressed as a rate per 1,000 care beds. This again has limitations in that it will not reflect occupancy levels but is the best available. It shows when compared to our statistical neighbours Gloucestershire has the third highest rate of deaths from COVID19, the rate is lower than Leicestershire and Essex, but this difference is not significant.
When compared to nearest neighbours Gloucestershire has the fourth lowest rate of deaths with only Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire having lower rates.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 744 (6 new).
Tuesday 1st February 2022:
A new Covid support fund is available for businesses in Tewkesbury Borough impacted by the pandemic, but which have been ineligible for previous grant schemes.
The Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund is aimed at businesses operating from business-rated premises that have been adversely affected by the pandemic but were unable to introduce sufficient changes to adapt to its impact.
Funding for this additional relief has been provided by the government and the scheme is administered by Tewkesbury Borough Council.
The amount awarded to each business will be calculated according to the rateable value of its premises but, since the government funding is limited, will also depend on the number of applicants amongst whom it has to be distributed. The council’s aim is to provide relief for as many businesses as possible before the end of the 2021/22 financial year.
For more information on the Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund, and to apply, go to: COVID-19 Additional relief fund — Tewkesbury Borough Council | COVID-19
Friday 28th January 2022:
Key messages
From today, national guidance around wearing face masks will change. People will not be required to wear a face covering, including in communal areas of schools. However people are encouraged to continue to wear face masks in crowded and indoor spaces where they may come into contact with strangers.
Today, national guidance for the NHS COVID Pass will change. People will also no longer need to show their NHS COVID Pass to enter nightclubs or large events.
Self-isolation is still a legal requirement if you have COVID-19. People with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative with a rapid test on day 5 and day 6.
There is still time to come forward and take up the offer of a COVID-19 vaccination. In Gloucestershire 90% of over 16 year olds have had a first dose, and it’s not too late to change your mind.
From 1 April, health and social care staff who carry out Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered activities, such as personal care in people’s homes, will be required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. To achieve this, first doses need to be received by 3 February. Find more guidance, please visit the CQC website.
It is extremely important to get your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
You can find information about booster jabs in different languages by visiting the NHS’s ‘vaccine information in other languages’ page.
If you have symptoms of Covid or receive a positive LFD test result and need to apply for support payments, you should still book a PCR test via the National Booking System.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 4 (Monday 17th January – Sunday 23rd January) there were 6,507 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,576 were in Gloucester
1,281 were in Cheltenham
1,121 were in Tewkesbury
1,115 were in Stroud
732 were in Forest of Dean
682 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 27/01/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 979.8 in Gloucestershire, 946.9 in the South West, and 993.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 2 (Saturday 8th January – Friday 14th January) there were 5 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 4.3% of all deaths, this compares with 12 (9.0% of all deaths) in Week 1
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 22nd January they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 738 (4 new).
Friday 21st January 2022:
Key messages
From today, staff and pupils in secondary schools and colleges will not be required to wear a face covering in classrooms.
From Thursday, 27 Jan, people will not be required to wear a face covering, including in communal areas of schools. It is encouraged that people continue to wear masks in crowded and indoor spaces where they may come into contact with strangers.
On the 27 Jan, people will also no longer need to show their NHS COVID Pass at venues and events.
People are no longer required to work from home.
People with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6.
It is extremely important to get your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
16 and 17 year olds can now book a booster dose online. Parents and guardians of people at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19 between 12 to 15 years old, or those living with people at higher risk, will also be contacted to book a booster.
You can find information about booster jabs in different languages by visiting the NHS’s ‘vaccine information in other languages’ page.
If you are asymptomatic and receive a positive LFD test result, you no longer need to get a confirmatory PCR test but must still self-isolate immediately.
If you have symptoms of Covid or receive a positive LFD test result and need to apply for support payments, you should still book a PCR test via the National Booking System.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 3 (Monday 10th January – Sunday 16th January) there were 5,046 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,274 were in Gloucester
944 were in Cheltenham
866 were in Stroud
775 were in Tewkesbury
621 were in Cotswold
566 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 19/01/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 788.6 in Gloucestershire, 810.2 in the South West, and 967.4 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 1 (Saturday 1st January – Friday 7 January) there were 11 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.7% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (5.0% of all deaths) in Week 52
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 15th January they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 734 (14 new).
News from TBC:
Situation report • In Gloucestershire, there are 4,934 cases. The rate per 100,000 is 770.2. • In Tewkesbury Borough, there are 751 cases. The rate per 100,000 is 777.2. Service delivery Environmental Health: • Kathryn Griffiths has been appointed as the council’s new Principal Environmental Health Officer. This role was previously held by Alastair Low (our new Environmental Health Manager) and Kathryn will start her new job on Monday, 24 January. Kathryn will be responsible for leading the Environmental Health team and providing the council with expert advice on environmental health matters. Communications: • A press release was issued this week to promote the Council Tax Hardship Fund which offers a reduced council tax bill for residents who are in exceptional financial difficulty as a result of Covid-19. Community and Economic Development Household Support Grant: • The council has been allocated a Household Support Grant to help vulnerable people with food and fuel payments. • Families and individuals on council tax support bands A and B will be eligible to apply for a supermarket voucher for food and essential supplies. • Those receiving Test and Trace support payments will also receive a supermarket voucher for food and essential supplies. Covid Community Grants: • Community grants are still available and can be applied for via the council’s website. Applications continue to be received weekly. Contain Outbreak Management Fund (COMF) Bids: • The council made several bids for further COMF funds. The County Council has allocated funds of £75,000 to the Roses Theatre for outreach work, and £25,000 to create new paths and walking routes in the community.
Welcome Back Fund: The Welcome Back Fund is providing councils across England with funding from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) to support the safe return to high streets and help to ‘build back better’ from the pandemic. The fund allows local authorities in England to put in place additional measures to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism, particularly in high streets, as economies reopen. The particular focus for this work is the town/village centres in Bishop’s Cleeve, Winchcombe and Tewkesbury. Tewkesbury Borough Council has been awarded £169,862 of funding. There are six strands to this work: 1. Support to develop an action plan detailing how the local authority may begin to safely reopen its local economies. 2. Communications and public information to ensure that the reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely. 3. Business-facing promotion to ensure that the reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely. 4. Temporary public realm changes to ensure that the reopening of local economies can be managed successfully and safely. 5. Support to promote a safe public environment for a local area’s visitor economy. 6. Support for local authorities to develop plans for responding to the medium-term impact of Covid-19. This includes trialling new ideas – particularly those relating to the High Street. Outlined below are the projects that have either been funded or are in the Grant Action Plan agreed with the Government to be delivered before the end of March 2022. These projects have been developed following feedback from members, parish and town councils, and a survey of the business community. Some of the below projects are in the process of being confirmed or are awaiting approval from the funders. Marketing and promotion – promoting high streets and visiting safely ‘Let’s Spring Back’ marketing campaign, including: ➢ Safety films with local businesses ➢ Stickers provided for business windows ➢ Social media campaigns on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter ➢ Social media advertising ➢ Local media advertising ➢ Covid-safety stickers and signs for businesses ‘Rediscover Local’ campaign ➢ Stickers provided for businesses ➢ Social media films with local businesses ➢ Social media posts on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter ➢ Social media advertising ➢ Visitor and business information packs Local advertising Bishop’s Cleeve projects Public art Litter picking equipment Pop up stalls / gazebos for town centre events Christmas tree and lights Fine foods pilot market Village Centre deep clean Sanitiser stations Accessibility audit Footfall counter installed Place promotion film Cleeve business promotion Social media support for businesses in retail centre Tewkesbury projects Activities as part of Watson Hall event inc. bunting, banners and entertainment Cycle racks/storage Fine foods pilot market Town centre deep clean including car parks Planters to aid pedestrian movement/social distancing Sanitiser stations Accessibility audit Tear off maps Footfall counter installed Place promotion film Social media support for businesses in town centre Picnic benches – Vineyards Winchcombe projects Play area improvements – Jubilee and Finches Activities as part of Winchcombe Park opening including music, entertainment and food Town centre deep clean including car parks Fine foods pilot market Sanitiser stations Accessibility audit Picnic benches – King George V park Benches – King George V park Footfall counter installed Place promotion film Social media support for businesses in centre Growth Hub: • The team is currently finalising leases to rent our office space in the Growth Hub. • The Growth Hub’s services and office space are being promoted through local advertising and social media posts. More work is being planned to raise the profile of the Hub and inform businesses about how they can be supported. County recovery group • The county recovery group meetings are now quarterly. Progress in the delivery of the council’s Covid-19 recovery plan was positively received at last week’s Overview and Scrutiny committee. Revenues and Benefits • Members of the team continue to support the Business Cell and administration of the Omicron business grants that recently went live. • Covid-19 Additional Relief Fund – £2.3m of business rates relief is to be awarded by the end of 2021/22. • The Council Tax Reduction caseload has stabilised – 3,041 claims are currently in payment. • The Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Relief Scheme has been extended to 2022/23. Business • There has been a positive response to the Omicron Hospitality and Leisure Grant scheme and a good number of businesses have applied. The Discretionary Omicron Grant scheme has received fewer applications, but further promotion will take place before the closing date on Sunday, 30 January. • Test and Trace self-isolation applications are very high, but the team is working steadily through the applications.
Friday 14th January 2022:
Key messages
From Monday, 17 January, people with COVID-19 can end their self-isolation after five full days, as long as they test negative on day 5 and day 6.
It is extremely important to get your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
You can find information about booster jabs in different languages by visiting the NHS’s ‘vaccine information in other languages’ page.
If you are asymptomatic and receive a positive LFD test result, you no longer need to get a confirmatory PCR test but must still self-isolate immediately.
If you have symptoms of Covid or receive a positive LFD test result and need to apply for support payments, you should still book a PCR test via the National Booking System.
Eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR on or before day 2 of their arrival in England.
Face coverings are mandatory (apart from in hospitality venues and unless exempt), Covid passes are needed to enter certain venues and events and people should work from home if they can.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 2 (Monday 3rd January – Sunday 9th January) there were 7,243 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1827 were in Gloucester
1414 were in Cheltenham
1196 were in Stroud
1005 were in Cotswold
975 were in Tewkesbury
826 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 12/01/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 1132.1 in Gloucestershire, 1185.3 in the South West, and 1584.4 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 52 (Saturday 25th December – Friday 31st December) there were 4 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.7% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (5.5% of all deaths) in Week 51
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 8th January they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 720 (12 new).
Friday 7th January 2022:
Key messages
It is extremely important to get your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic.
You can find information about booster jabs in different languages by visiting the NHS’s ‘vaccine information in other languages’ page.
Eligible fully vaccinated travellers and over 5s will be able to take a lateral flow test instead of a PCR on or before day 2 of their arrival in England.
From 11 January, if you are asymptomatic and receive a positive LFD test result, you no longer need to get a confirmatory PCR test but still must self-isolate immediately. This is a temporary measure whilst Covid cases remain high.
If you have symptoms of Covid, you should still book a PCR test via the National Booking System
Face coverings are mandatory (apart from in hospitality venues and unless exempt), Covid passes are needed to enter certain venues and events and people should work from home if they can.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 52 (Monday 27th December- Sunday 2nd January) there were 8097 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1573 were in Stroud
1815 were in Gloucester
1112 were in Tewkesbury
1070 were in Forest of Dean
1485 were in Cheltenham
1042 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 18:37 05/01/2022)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 1224.8 in Gloucestershire, 1240.5 in the South West, and 1678.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 51 (Saturday 18th December – Friday 24th December) there were 4 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 4.8% of all deaths, this compares with 7 (5.4% of all deaths) in Week 50.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 1st January they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 708 (8 new).
We are now looking at the CQC data on a monthly basis.
As previously the data is limited with no breakdown to district level and limited time series. In addition it only includes those who were resident in and died in a care home, so it does not include those residents in care homes who died in hospitals.
It is worth noting that in the week ending the 31st December there was 1 death from COVID19 in care homes this was lower than the previous week when the CQC data showed 2 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 433 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
We have:
Looked at how the weekly deaths of residents in care homes compares to the five year average. It is worth noting that there is a slight difference in the CQC data provides death by data of notification not when they actually occurred and the 5 year average looks at data of death. The number of deaths in the week ending the 31strd December was in line with the 5 year average for the same period.
Looked at how we compare to statistical and nearest neighbours when expressed as a rate per 1,000 care beds. This again has limitations in that it will not reflect occupancy levels but is the best available. It shows when compared to our statistical neighbours Gloucestershire has the third highest rate of deaths from COVID19, the rate is lower than Leicestershire and Essex, but this difference is not significant.
When compared to nearest neighbours Gloucestershire has the fourth lowest rate of deaths with only Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire having lower rates.
Friday 24th December 2021:
Key messages
It is extremely important to get your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic (this week’s clinics detailed below)
You can find information about booster jabs in different languages by visiting the NHS’s ‘vaccine information in other languages’ page.
Self-isolation guidance has changed.
You can now leave self-isolation after 7 days if you:
Take two LFD tests on subsequent days, at least a full 24 hours apart, with the first test on at least the sixth full day of your self-isolation (not counting the ‘onset day’).
Obtain negative results on both these days and you do not have a high temperature
Find out more about the new self-isolation guidance on the GOV.UK website.
Face coverings are mandatory* in most public venues (other than hospitality venues). Masks continue to be required on public transport and in shops. *Unless exempt.
People should work from home if they can.
Covid passes are needed to enter certain venues and events.
International arrivals who are fully vaccinated will need to isolate at home and take a PCR test on or before day 2 following their arrival. They will only be permitted to leave isolation if this test result is negative. If their test result is positive, they will need to isolate for at least 7 days (after testing negative on an LFD on consecutive days) for 10 days.
View the latest drop-in vaccination clinics on the NHS vaccination Covid portal.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Ask secondary and college age children to keep testing over the holidays, especially if they’re meeting friends or family, to help keep everyone safer this Christmas.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 50 (Monday 13th December- Sunday 19th December) there were 4295 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
806 were in Stroud
841 were in Gloucester
614 were in Tewkesbury
443 were in Forest of Dean
870 were in Cheltenham
721 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 22/11/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 674.6 in Gloucestershire, 670.4 in the South West, and 948.1 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 49 (Saturday 4th December – Friday 10th December) there were 6 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 4.5% of all deaths, this compares with 4 (2.7% of all deaths) in Week 48.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 18th December they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 697 (9 new).
Friday 17th December 2021:
Key messages
Read an open letter from Health and Care leaders in Gloucestershire about acting to protect yourself, your communities and the NHS this winter.
It is extremely important to book your booster jab to help slow the spread of Covid. There are three ways you can do this:
At a GP-led community vaccination centre – you will receive an invite from local GP services to book an appointment
At a community pharmacy or the Gloucestershire Royal Hospital JabVan – book via the National Booking System (or call 119)
Visit a drop-in clinic (this week’s clinics detailed below)
Face coverings are mandatory* in most public venues (other than hospitality venues). Masks continue to be required on public transport and in shops. *Unless exempt.
People should work from home if they can.
Covid passes are needed to enter certain settings.
If someone is not fully vaccinated (first and second dose only) then they must isolate for 10 days without exception.
Any fully vaccinated close contact of a current positive case should LFD for 7 days and as per guidance, get a PCR test as well.
If a person has tested positive in the previous 90 days, they are advised to do daily LFDs for 7 days and advised to get a PCR.
International arrivals who are fully vaccinated will need to isolate at home and take a PCR test on or before day 2 following their arrival. They will only be permitted to leave isolation if this test result is negative. If their test result is positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days.
View the latest drop-in vaccination clinics on the NHS vaccination Covid portal.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 50 (Monday 6th December – Sunday 12th December) there were 3,474 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
836 were in Gloucester
632 were in Cheltenham
588 were in Stroud
581 were in Tewkesbury
423 were in Cotswold
414 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 15/12/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 548.8 in Gloucestershire, 538.0 in the South West, and 550.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 48 (Saturday 27th November – Friday 3rd December) there were 4 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.0% of all deaths, this compares with 9 (5.8% of all deaths) in Week 47
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 11th December they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 688 (3 new).
Friday 10th December 2021:
Key messages
Face coverings will become mandatory* in most public venues (other than hospitality venues) tomorrow (10 Dec). Masks continue to be required on public transport and in shops. *Unless exempt.
From Monday 13 Dec, people are being asked to work from home if they can.
From Wednesday 15 Dec you must show a valid Covid pass to enter certain settings.
If you come into contact with an individual who may be infected with the Omicron variant, you will need to self-isolate. This applies even if you are fully-vaccinated or aged 18 or under.
International arrivals from non-red list countries who are fully vaccinated will need to isolate at home and take a PCR test on or before day 2 following their arrival. They will only be permitted to leave isolation if this test result is negative. If their test result is positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days.
View the latest drop-in vaccination clinics on the NHS vaccination Covid portal.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Find out more about the latest Covid guidance by visiting the Government website.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 49 (Monday 29th November – Sunday 5th December) there were 3,779 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1,046 were in Gloucester
632 were in Tewkesbury
588 were in Cheltenham
570 were in Stroud
492 were in Cotswold
451 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 08/12/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 590.3 in Gloucestershire, 576.3 in the South West, and 499.4 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 47 (Saturday 20th November – Friday 26th November) there were 9 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 6.4% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (8.0% of all deaths) in Week 46
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 4th December they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 685 (3 new).
We are now looking at the CQC data on a monthly basis.
As previously the data is limited with no breakdown to district level and limited time series. In addition it only includes those who were resident in and died in a care home, so it does not include those residents in care homes who died in hospitals.
It is worth noting that in the week ending the 3rd December there was 1 deaths from COVID19 in care homes this was higher than the previous week when the CQC data showed 0 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 426 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
We have:
Looked at how the weekly deaths of residents in care homes compares to the five year average. It is worth noting that there is a slight difference in the CQC data provides death by data of notification not when they actually occurred and the 5 year average looks at data of death. The number of deaths in the week ending the 3rd December was higher than the 5 year average for the same period
Looked at how we compare to statistical and nearest when expressed as a rate per 1,000 care beds. This again has limitations in that it will not reflect occupancy levels but is the best available. It shows when compared to our statistical neighbours Gloucestershire has the third highest rate of deaths from COVID19, the rate is lower than Leicestershire and Essex, but this difference is not significant.
When compared to nearest neighbours Gloucestershire has the fourth lowest rate of deaths with only Worcestershire, Warwickshire and Herefordshire having lower rates.
Friday 3rd December 2021:
Key messages
Face coverings are now a legal requirement in shops and on public transport.
If you come into contact with an individual who may be infected with the Omicron variant, you will need to self-isolate. This applies even if you are fully-vaccinated or aged 18 or under.
International arrivals from non-red list countries who are fully vaccinated will need to isolate at home and take a PCR test on or before day 2 following their arrival. They will only be permitted to leave isolation if this test result is negative. If their test result is positive, they will need to isolate for 10 days.
View the latest drop-in vaccination clinics on the NHS vaccination Covid portal.
Covid hangs around like smoke so if you’re meeting with others inside, make sure to let fresh air in.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 48 (Monday 22nd November – Sunday 28th November) there were 3,196 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
807 were in Gloucester
611 were in Cheltenham
517 were in Tewkesbury
457 were in Stroud
430 were in Cotswold
374 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 01/12/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 501.5 in Gloucestershire, 522.6 in the South West, and 438.0 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 46 (Saturday 13th November – Friday 19th November) there were 10 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.6% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (8.1% of all deaths) in Week 45
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 27th November they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 682 (10 new).
Friday 26th November 2021:
Key messages
There are a number of drop-in sessions coming up, including this weekend. You can view the drop-ins on the NHS vaccination Covid portal. You can visit these drop-in clinics if you need a booster 6 months after your second dose, you’re 12-15 years old needing your first dose, you’re 16/17 needing your first dose or you’re 18+ needing your first or second dose of Pfizer.
As well as those aged over 50 years and at higher risk from COVID-19, all adults aged 40 to 49 years can now get their boosters 6 months after their second dose.
Make sure to prioritise ventilation now and over the festive period – if you’re meeting with others, make sure to keep windows open. Covid hangs around like smoke, so disperse the particles by keeping spaces ventilated.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 47 (Monday 15th November – Sunday 21st November) there were 3,242 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
735 were in Gloucester
631 were in Cheltenham
546 were in Tewkesbury
501 were in Stroud
439 were in Cotswold
390 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 24/11/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 508.7 in Gloucestershire, 525.4 in the South West, and 428.4 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 45 (Saturday 6th November – Friday 12th November) there were 9 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.0% of all deaths, this compares with 4 (3.2% of all deaths) in Week 44
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 20th November they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include
deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 672 (4 new).
News from TBC:
Situation report • Across the Southwest, there are 29,277 cases. The rate per 100,000 is 517.3. • In Gloucestershire, there are 3,136 cases, an increase of 886 since the last bulletin in September. The rate per 100,000 is 489.5. • In Tewkesbury, there are 519 cases, an increase of 233 since the last bulletin in September. The rate per 100,000 is 537.1. Service delivery Environmental Health: • On Monday 30 November, the government introduced new rules in response to the Covid-19 Omicron variant: o A face covering must be worn in shops, certain other indoor settings and on public transport. o Anyone who has been in contact with a suspected Covid-19 Omicron case must self-isolate for 10 days, regardless of their vaccination status. o All international arrivals must take a PCR test within 48 hours and self-isolate until they receive a negative result, even if they have been vaccinated. • Due to the Environmental Health team’s increased workload over the last two years as a result of the pandemic, a backlog of ‘business as usual’ work has accumulated. The team anticipates that it will be able to clear this backlog by the end of the financial year. Communications: • Details of the new rules introduced by the government have been added to the main council website and our Covid-19 website. • Guidance for officers on the importance of following Covid-safety measures when working in the Public Services Centre will be reissued next week. • The Covid-safety posters in the public areas of the Public Services Centre have been updated. Community and Economic Development • Household Support Grant – £120,000 has been allocated by Gloucestershire County Council to each district to support vulnerable families. This will mainly be via supermarket vouchers. A scheme is in development and will be finalised shortly. This funding needs to be spent by March 2022. • Bids are being developed around four themes for submission to the Covid Outbreak Management Fund. These themes are: mental health and young people; Integrated Locality Partnership projects; outdoor spaces; and community and business support. • Covid Community Grants – 151 grants have been awarded totalling £124,000. Applications are still being accepted and the grant continues to be promoted. • Holiday Activity Fund – Young Gloucestershire is leading on this fund for the borough. It is providing food parcels and holiday activities for families with children on free school meals in the run up to Christmas. • Winchcombe and Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centres (TIC) – The Winchcombe TIC has now reopened following an agreement on its lease. Visitor numbers are healthy, with higher-than-usual domestic visitors, but fewer international visitors. • The Growth Hub is operational and welcoming visitors to use its facilities. Most users are choosing to access assistance and events online. • The High Street Heritage Action Zone scheme has launched and is in progress. There is a high interest in the shopfront/upper floor grant scheme. • Welcome Back fund – the Community team has received feedback from parishes on how to spend funds in the three retail centres in Cleeve, Winchcombe and Tewkesbury. These include deep cleans, markets, events and street furniture, and will be formalised in the run up to Christmas. These plans will be shared with the local members as soon as they are ready. Digital marketing and design agency, V8, have also been contracted to produce material promoting safe shopping at our retail centres. County Recovery Group The County Recovery Group (CRG) meets on a monthly basis. At the last meeting, there was discussion about the group standing down. The CRG is an ‘overseeing’ group and the group’s members felt comfortable that recovery actions were being successfully monitored and completed by other groups. The impact of the new Omicron Covid variant may alter the situation, however, and further consideration will be given during the next meeting on 14 December. Business • Test and trace support payment applications are steadily increasing. • The Business Cell will look at spending the remaining £563,000 from the Additional Restrictions Grant budget in the new year. • The Business Cell is awaiting details of the forthcoming Covid-19 Material Change of Circumstances business grant scheme, announced by the government earlier this year. The team expects this to be released early next year
Friday 19th November 2021:
Key messages
There are a number of drop-in sessions coming up, including this weekend. You can view the drop-ins on the NHS vaccination Covid portal
Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not have any symptoms. This means they could be spreading the virus without knowing it. Testing regularly increases the chances of detecting COVID-19 when you are infectious but are not displaying symptoms, helping to make sure you do not spread COVID-19 by staying at home and self-isolating immediately.
Make sure to get your booster 6 months after your second dose of the Covid vaccine. It’s also important to get your flu jab, to protect yourself and others from winter viruses.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 45 (Monday 8th November- Sunday 14th November) there were 2971 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
468 were in Stroud
695 were in Gloucester
531 were in Tewkesbury
374 were in Forest of Dean
535 were in Cheltenham
368 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 17/11/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 465.0 in Gloucestershire, 490.0 in the South West, and 386.8 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 44 (Saturday 30th October – Friday 5th November) there were 4 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.5% of all deaths, this compares with 11 (7.8% of all deaths) in Week 43.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 13th November they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 668 (9 new).
Friday 12th November 2021:
Key messages
It’s essential to protect yourself and others against both flu and COVID-19 this winter. Get vaccinated, get boosted, get protected.
Visit a drop-in clinic this weekend to get your first, second or booster COVID-19 vaccination.
If you are attending the races or watching the rugby this weekend, make sure you wash / sanitise your hand regularly, wear a mask in crowded spaces and take a rapid test before you go. Stay home if you feel unwell.
Ensure you continue with good hand hygiene – wash / sanitise your hands regularly.
Make sure you continue with regular rapid testing even if you are vaccinated, as there is a still a chance you can catch and spread the virus.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 45 (Monday 1st November – Sunday 7th November) there were 2,846 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
653 were in Gloucester
516 were in Stroud
485 were in Cheltenham
414 were in Tewkesbury
404 were in Forest of Dean
374 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 10/11/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 468.1 in Gloucestershire, 426.0 in the South West, and 343.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 43 (Saturday 23rd October – Friday 29th October) there were 11 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.8% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (4.5% of all deaths) in Week 42.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 6th November they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 659 (6 new).
Friday 5th November 2021:
Key messages
Hear from Sarah Scott about why it is important for young people to get vaccinated. You can keep up to date with upcoming drop-in sessions by visiting the NHS Covid portal – COVID-19 vaccination for 12-15 year olds.
If you go into a care home for work or to volunteer to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (unless exempt) by Thursday 11 November. To meet the deadline, you should have already had your first dose of the vaccine – second doses can be booked and received six weeks after the first.
There are a very small number of people that work in care homes that are exempt from needing a vaccination, and these are usually due to previous severe reactions to the vaccine. More information on this can be found in the main Government guidance.
We hope you have a fun and safe evening this bonfire night – remember to follow COVID-19 guidance:
🎆 Test before you meet up with others 🎆Check-in using the NHS App 🎆 Stay at home if you feel unwell 🎆 Wash or sanitise your hands regularly
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 44 (Monday 25th October – Sunday 31st October) there were 4,332 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
927 were in Cheltenham
848 were in Stroud
800 were in Gloucester
703 were in Tewkesbury
568 were in Forest of Dean
486 were in Cotswolds
Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:15 03/11/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 641.4 in Gloucestershire, 540.5 in the South West, and 409.6 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 42 (Saturday 16th October – Friday 22nd October) there were 5 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.9% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.9% of all deaths) in Week 41.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 30th October they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 653 (3 new).
In the week ending the 29th October there was 1 death from COVID19 in care homes this was lower than the previous week when the CQC data showed 6 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 422 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire. (11 new since last report on 08/10).
Friday 29th October 2021:
Key messages
With the Autumn and Winter months approaching, it is important that we take steps to protect ourselves from catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as other seasonal viruses. Professor Sarah Scott discusses the steps we need to take to protect ourselves and others.
Good hand hygiene is important at any time, but it’s particularly crucial this Halloween when we are likely to be sharing sweet treats and other goodies. Make sure you wash or sanitise your hands regularly, don’t leave out self-serve bowls and don’t hand out treats if you have any symptoms or are self-isolating
If you are meeting up with friends and family outside is safer. If you meet indoors, let fresh air in.
Test before you meet others – rapid Covid tests help to detect the virus in people who might have no symptoms so that quick action can be taken before the virus can be passed on.
Wear a face covering in enclosed spaces like if you are travelling on public transport.
Stay at home if you are unwell – don’t risk it!
Utilise the NHS App if you are heading to a venue to celebrate Halloween.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 43 (Monday 18th October – Sunday 22nd October) there were 5,585 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1167 were in Stroud
1109 were in Cheltenham
991 were in Tewkesbury
939 were in Gloucester
724 were in Cotswold
655 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source as at 16:00 27/10/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 937 in Gloucestershire, 708.8 in the South West, and 476.8 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 41 (Saturday 9th October – Friday 15th October) there was 1 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.0% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (7.3% of all deaths) in Week 40.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 23rd October they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 650 (10 new).
Friday 22nd October 2021:
Key messages
With the Autumn and Winter months approaching, it is important that we take steps to protect ourselves from catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as other seasonal viruses.
Vaccines are the best protection we have against viruses like flu and COVID-19. People are being urged to come forward for their seasonal vaccinations as soon as they are invited to ensure they are protected
GPs and community NHS teams across Gloucestershire are offering COVID-19 boosters and flu vaccines to people who are most at risk of getting very ill this winter or those who work with our most vulnerable residents.
The bulk of COVID boosters and flu vaccinations continue to be provided by appointment through the 11 GP-led community vaccination centres and some GP practices across the county. Local GP services will be in touch if they haven’t already.
People also have the choice to arrange their flu vaccination with their local pharmacy or use the National Booking System (NBS) website or phone number to book their COVID-19 booster at one of six community pharmacies around the county.
Adults can have their COVID booster and flu vaccination at the same time, subject to supplies. However, if you’re not yet eligible for a COVID booster (i.e. your second dose was less than six months ago) it’s really important not to delay getting your flu vaccine
Anyone who is eligible but hasn’t yet had their first or second dose can still take up the offer – just follow the instructions in your original invitation from local GP services, use the national booking system (NBS) to get an appointment at a community pharmacy or look out for drop-in clinics.
The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination to 12-15 years old continues. Eligible children and young people will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Getting the vaccine will help keep their lives moving supporting mental health and wellbeing.
As well as getting vaccinated, there are other simple steps we can all take to help slow the spread of viruses.
Let fresh air in. Viruses spread more quickly when we’re all gathered together inside – opening windows, even just for ten minutes or short bursts regularly, can make a real difference;
Wear face coverings when in enclosed spaces, like on public transport;
Wash hands regularly – a simple step that can help prevent the spread of any virus or infection;
Stay at home if you feel unwell, to avoid passing it on to someone else; and
Get the NHS COVID-19 app – the app remains a key tool in reducing the spread of Covid
And..
If you have any of the main Covid symptoms get a PCR test and isolate if you test positive.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 42 (Monday 11th October – Sunday 18th October) there were 5,543 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
1309 were in Cheltenham
1293 were in Stroud
934 were in Tewkesbury
783 were in Gloucester
660 were in Forest of Dean
564 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 20/10/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 743.8 in Gloucestershire, 627.8 in the South West, and 440.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 40 (Saturday 02nd October – Friday 8th October) there were 10 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 7.5% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.2% of all deaths) in Week 39.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 9th October they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 640 (1 new).
Friday 15th Oct9ober 2021:
Key messages
With the Autumn and Winter months approaching, it is important that we take steps to protect ourselves from catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as other seasonal viruses.
Vaccines are the best protection we have against viruses like flu and COVID-19. People are being urged to come forward for their seasonal vaccinations as soon as they are invited to ensure they are protected
GPs and community NHS teams across Gloucestershire are offering COVID-19 boosters and flu vaccines to people who are most at risk of getting very ill this winter or those who work with our most vulnerable residents.
The bulk of COVID boosters and flu vaccinations continue to be provided by appointment through the 11 GP-led community vaccination centres and some GP practices across the county. Local GP services will be in touch if they haven’t already.
People also have the choice to arrange their flu vaccination with their local pharmacy or use the National Booking System (NBS) website or phone number to book their COVID-19 booster at one of six community pharmacies around the county.
Adults can have their COVID booster and flu vaccination at the same time, subject to supplies. However, if you’re not yet eligible for a COVID booster (i.e. your second dose was less than six months ago) it’s really important not to delay getting your flu vaccine
Anyone who is eligible but hasn’t yet had their first or second dose can still take up the offer – just follow the instructions in your original invitation from local GP services, use the national booking system (NBS) to get an appointment at a community pharmacy or look out for drop-in clinics.
The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination to 12-15 years old continues. Eligible children and young people will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Getting the vaccine will help keep their lives moving supporting mental health and wellbeing.
As well as getting vaccinated, there are other simple steps we can all take to help slow the spread of viruses.
Let fresh air in. Viruses spread more quickly when we’re all gathered together inside – opening windows, even just for ten minutes or short bursts regularly, can make a real difference;
Wear face coverings when in enclosed spaces, like on public transport;
Wash hands regularly – a simple step that can help prevent the spread of any virus or infection;
Stay at home if you feel unwell, to avoid passing it on to someone else; and
Get the NHS COVID-19 app – the app remains a key tool in reducing the spread of Covid
And..
If you have any of the main Covid symptoms get a PCR test and isolate if you test positive.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 41 (Monday 4th October- Sunday 10th October) there were 980 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
201 were in Stroud
153 were in Gloucester
92 were in Tewkesbury
200 were in Forest of Dean
168 were in Cheltenham
166 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 13/10/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 150.2 in Gloucestershire, 308.5 in the South West, and 373.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning CVID19
In week 39 (Saturday 25th September – Friday 1st October) there was 1 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.2% of all deaths, this compares with 4 (3.8% of all deaths) in Week 38.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 9th October they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 639 (1 new).
Friday 8th October 2021:
Key messages
With the Autumn and Winter months soon approaching, it is more important than ever that we keep taking steps to protect ourselves from catching and spreading COVID-19 as well as other seasonal viruses.
Vaccines are the best protection we have against viruses like flu and COVID-19. GPs and community NHS teams across Gloucestershire are offering COVID-19 boosters and flu vaccines to people who are most at risk of getting very ill this winter or those who work with our most vulnerable residents. If you’re eligible for one or both of these vaccines, it’s really important to take up the offer as soon as possible. .
Adults can have their COVID booster and flu vaccination at the same time, so you may be offered the opportunity to have both at the same appointment, subject to supplies. However, if you’re not yet eligible for a COVID booster (i.e. your second dose was less than six months ago) it’s really important not to delay getting your flu vaccine
Anyone who is eligible but hasn’t yet had their first or second dose can still take up the offer – just follow the instructions in your original invitation from local GP services, use the national booking system (NBS) to get an appointment at a community pharmacy or look out for drop-in clinics. Check what is available is to visit the Gloucestershire CCG website.
The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination to 12-15 years old has begun. Eligible children and young people will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Getting the vaccine will help keep their lives moving supporting mental health and wellbeing.
Let fresh air in if you are meeting indoors – opening windows for just 10 mins or a small amount continuously can makes a significant different. Meeting outdoors is still safer.
Wear face coverings – where social distancing and ventilation may become more difficult and in enclosed spaces where you might come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, like on public transport.
Get tested and isolate if positive – anyone with symptoms should self-isolate and can still get a free PCR test. Anybody who tests positive must isolate for ten days. Financial and practical support continues to be available.
Continue with regular rapid tests if you don’t have symptoms – this will help stop Covid in its tracks – gloucestershire.gov.uk/testing. From October you will be asked to download a collection code each time you pick up a test kit from your local pharmacy – this will help with the test and trace process as the kit will be more easily tracked to a person. de?
Health and social care are already under pressure – this will only increase as we head into the winter months. Stay at home if you feel unwell and help protect our NHS.
Wash hands regularly – a simple step that can help prevent the spread.
Utilise the NHS COVID-19 app – the app remains a key tool in preventing further cases of Covid. Since 16 August the app has advised potential contacts who are vaccinated to take a PCR test rather than isolate.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 40 (Monday 27th September – Sunday 3rd October) there were 916 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
206 were in Stroud
181 were in Cotswold
178 were in Cheltenham
142 were in Forest of Dean
109 were in Gloucester
100 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 06/10/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 143.8 in Gloucestershire, 287.2 in the South West, and 331 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 38 (Saturday 18th September – Friday 24th September) there were 4 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.8% of all deaths, this compares with 2 (1.7% of all deaths) in Week 37.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 2nd October they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 638 (6 new).
It is worth noting that in the week ending the 1st October there were 0 deaths from COVID19 in care homes. This was lower than the previous week when the CQC data showed 1 death mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2020) there have been 411 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
Friday 1st October 2021:
Key messages
With the Autumn and Winter months soon approaching, it is more important than ever that we keep taking steps to protect ourselves from catching and spreading COVID-19.
Getting the vaccine remains the best defence against COVID-19, and is the best way to keep friends, family, and your community safe.
There are still opportunities to get your first and second dose of the Covid vaccine – most primary care networks are now offering walk in clinics all across the county and the best way to check what is available is to visit the Gloucestershire CCG website.
The roll out of the COVID-19 vaccination to 12-15 years old has begun. Eligible children and young people will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Getting the vaccine will help keep their lives moving supporting mental health and wellbeing.
The NHS programme is beginning to deliver COVID-19 booster doses to those that are eligible, inviting those that had their first and second dose more than six months ago first. Please take up the offer of a booster if invited.
Let fresh air in if you are meeting indoors – opening windows for just 10 mins or a small amount continuously can makes a significant different. Meeting outdoors is still safer.
Wear face coverings – where social distancing and ventilation may become more difficult and in enclosed spaces where you might come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, like on public transport.
Get tested and isolate if positive – anyone with symptoms should self-isolate and can still get a free PCR test. Anybody who tests positive must isolate for ten days. Financial and practical support continues to be available.
Continue with regular rapid tests if you don’t have symptoms – this will help stop Covid in its tracks – gloucestershire.gov.uk/testing. From October you will be asked to download a collection code each time you pick up a test kit from your local pharmacy – this will help with the test and trace process as the kit will be more easily tracked to a person.
Health and social care are already under pressure – this will only increase as we head into the winter months. Stay at home if you feel unwell and help protect our NHS.
Wash hands regularly – a simple step that can help prevent the spread.
Utilise the NHS COVID-19 app – the app remains a key tool in preventing further cases of Covid. Since 16 August the app has advised potential contacts who are vaccinated to take a PCR test rather than isolate.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 39 (Monday 20th September – Sunday 26th September) there were 1,447 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
284 were in Cheltenham
277 were in Stroud
240 were in Forest of Dean
237 were in Cotswold
227 were in Gloucester
182 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 29/09/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 219.6 in Gloucestershire, 290.7 in the South West, and 330.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 37 (Saturday 11th September – Friday 17th September) there were 2 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.9% of all deaths, this compares with 7 (5.0% of all deaths) in Week 36.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 25th September they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 632 (1 new).
Friday 24th September 2021:
Key messages
Vaccinations remain the first form of defence against the virus and the ‘evergreen’ offer of getting both doses of the vaccination will remain open to everyone who is eligible.
Let fresh air in if you are meeting indoors – opening windows for just 10 mins or a small amount continuously can makes a significant different. Meeting outdoors is still safer.
Wear face coverings – where social distancing and ventilation may become more difficult and in enclosed spaces where you might come into contact with people you don’t normally meet, like on public transport
Get tested and isolate if positive – anyone with symptoms should self-isolate and can still get a free PCR test. Anybody who tests positive must isolate for ten days. Financial and practical support continues to be available.
Continue with regular rapid tests if you don’t have symptoms – this will help stop Covid in its tracks – gloucestershire.gov.uk/testing.
Stay home when unwell – Health and social care are already under real remove pressure – this will only increase as we head into the winter months. Stay at home if you feel unwell and help protect our NHS.
Wash hands regularly.
Utilise the NHS COVID-19 app – the app remains a key tool in preventing further cases of Covid. Since 16 August the app has advised potential contacts who are vaccinated to take a PCR test rather than isolate.
Government has confirmed that vulnerable people will be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine this winter.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 38 (Monday 13th September– Sunday 19th September) there were 1,067 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
175 were in Stroud
207 were in Gloucester
158 were in Tewkesbury
166 were in Forest of Dean
200 were in Cheltenham
161 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 22/09/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 142.2 in Gloucestershire, 213.6 in the South West, and 262.9 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 36 (Saturday 4th September – Friday 10th September) there were 7 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 5.5% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.9% of all deaths) in Week 35.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 18th September they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 631 (3 new).
Friday 17th September 2021:
Key messages
On Tuesday 14 September, the Government announced and published it’s COVID-19 Response – Autumn and Winter Plan 2021. Vaccinations will remain the first form of defence against COVID-19 and the ‘evergreen’ offer of getting both doses of the vaccination will remain open to everyone who is eligible. People will also be asked to keep up with a number of key behaviours to help manage the spread whilst we continue to learn to live with the virus. These are: – Let fresh air in – Wear face coverings – Get tested and isolate if positive – Stay home when unwell – Wash hands – Utilise the NHS COVID-19 app
Part B of the plan outlines what will be taken to support and protect the NHS when necessary – this will be based on data which will monitored and reviewed regularly.
Following clinical advice, the Government has agreed to to end the requirement for shielding guidance for people previously considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable.
Government confirmed this week that vulnerable people will be offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine this winter. The programme will be rolled out to care home residents, health and social care workers, people aged over 50, those aged 16-49 years old with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of sever COVID-19, adult carers and adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals (people who have reduced ability to fight infections). People who are eligible for the booster will receive an invitation from local NHS services, there is no need to contact their GP.
Government has also confirmed that following advice from Chief Medical Officers in the UK, all children aged 12-15 years will be offered a single dose of the Pfizer vaccine. Community NHS Services will be in touch with parents of children in this age group soon, with details of the offer which is to be delivered through schools.
Everyone working in, going into a care home regularly for work or volunteering should have now received their first dose of the COVID-19 to force on 11 November. We will now be focussing on encouraging uptake of their second dose.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 37 (Monday 6th September – Sunday 12th September) there were 1,085 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of theses cases:
221 were in Gloucester
210 were in Stroud
182 were in Cotswold
171 were in Forest of Dean
159 were in Tewkesbury
142 were in Cheltenham
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 15/09/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 199.6 in Gloucestershire, 256.2 in the South West, and 294.5 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 35 (Saturday 28th August – Friday 3rd September) there were 3 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 3.1% of all deaths, this compares with 2 (2.2% of all deaths) in Week 34.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 4th September they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 628 (1 new).
In the week ending the 3rd September there were 0 deaths from COVID19 in care homes this was in line with the previous week when the CQC data showed 0 deaths mentioning COVID19. Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2021) there have been 409 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
Friday 10th September 2021:
Key messages
It’s back to school time Secondary school pupils should continue with regular rapid testing. Students aged 16 and 17 are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine either via their GP or by visiting a drop-in clinics. Ventilation and handwashing remain key More information on going back to school can be found on the Government website.
There are still opportunities for anyone aged 16 years and over to take up the offer of a first or second jab. You can book an appointment via your GP surgery or find a local drop-in clinic at a time to suit you – choose from one of four this weekend. If you have already been invited to get the jab via your GP simply follow the instructions to book an appointment
Everyone working in a care home must have booked and have received their first dose by 16 September 2021 This will allow for the second jab to happen in time for when the regulations to come into force on 11 November.
The vast majority of pregnant women who become seriously ill with COVID-19 are unvaccinated. So, it’s really important to have both doses of your vaccine to protect you and your baby. To date at least 62,000 pregnant women in the UK have received at least one dose. The COVID-19 vaccine is available to pregnant women at any point during their pregnancy.
Cases are still high in the county –Covid hasn’t gone away. You should continue to take regular rapid tests even if you have been vaccinated. Rapid testing for people with no symptoms can help detect cases of Covid in people who might not even know they have it and could be unknowingly spreading the virus
It is still a legal requirement for people who have symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate and book a PCR test.
Everyone aged 18 years and older can have a free antibody test. Antibody tests help to improve our understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection. You can opt in for antibody testing when booking your PCR. If your PCR test result is positive you may be selected for antibody testing. Read more.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 36 (Monday 30th August – Sunday 5th September) there were 2,263 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
504 were in Stroud
448 were in Gloucester
389 were in Cheltenham
320 were in Forest of Dean
315 were in Cotswold
287 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
Number of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 354.5 in Gloucestershire, 370.3 in the South West, and 334.9 in England
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 34 (Saturday 21st August – Friday 27th August) there were 2 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 2.4% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (6.2% of all deaths) in Week 33.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 4th September they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 627 (2 new).
In the week ending the 3rd September there were 0 deaths from COVID19 in care homes this was in line with the previous week when the CQC data showed 0 deaths mentioning COVID19.Since the CQC started reporting (10th April 2021) there have been 409 deaths from COVID19 in care homes in Gloucestershire.
News from TBC:
Situation report • Nationally, there are 7,132,072 cases, an increase of 952,566 since the last bulletin on 13 August. • In Gloucestershire, there are 2,250 cases, an increase of 405 since the last bulletin. The rate per 100,000 is 351. • In Tewkesbury, there are 286 cases, a decrease of 376 since the last bulletin. The rate per 100,000 is 296. • Across Gloucestershire: o 23 patients have been admitted to hospital in the last seven days. o 113 new patients are being treated at home in virtual wards – 92 of these have been fully vaccinated. o Two people have lost their lives to Covid in the last seven days. o The highest number of outbreaks (17) has occurred in adult social care settings. • The R-rate is between 1.0 and 1.4 which is higher than last week. Service delivery • Ubico are continuing to deliver services effectively despite the national driver shortage. They have recently recruited two additional drivers. Environmental health: • Officers are continuing to deal with a large number of events including many temporary event notices. • Officers are successfully managing outbreak control by liaising with businesses and health protection. • Officers are working with health protection to arrange for more mobile vaccination and testing centres in order to improve take-up for specific groups. • A training programme to be delivered to businesses on health and safety and risk assessments is being developed. • We are extending the contracts for Covid Community Protection Officers (CPOs) until the end of March 2022. This extension is funded from the Covid Outbreak Management Fund from the County Council. They will now be given additional responsibility to support environmental crime work. CPOs have been very well received by residents and businesses, and have done excellent engagement work delivering advice on Covid safety. Community • Summer Grants – work is in progress to develop a scheme to support vulnerable families with young people. This will involve providing food vouchers funded through Gloucestershire County Council. Once the scheme is confirmed, the information will be shared in more detail with members. • Holiday Activity Fund – Young Gloucestershire were commissioned to provide activities and food parcels – at a number of locations across the borough – for many young people during the summer. This was also funded through Gloucestershire County Council. When more data is available it will be shared with members. • Covid-19 Community Grants – applications continue to be submitted on a regular basis. 139 applications have been funded, at a total of £114,079. • Barnwood Trust – an event was held on Thursday, 9 September following a study on the work of the voluntary community sector and community response during the pandemic. • High Street Heritage Action Zone – on Saturday, 18 September, in line with Heritage Open Days, there will be a ‘Regenerate our High Street’ event for the Heritage Action Zone.
Friday 3rd September 2021:
Key messages
It’s back to school time. Students aged 16 and 17 are encouraged to take up the offer of the vaccine and can visit drop-in clinics. It’s as important as ever to continue to rapid test regularly. More information on going back to school can be found on the Government website.
16 or 17 years old are encouraged to get their first Covid vaccination. If you have already been invited for your jab please follow the instructions to book an appointment or look out for opportunities to attend a local drop-in clinic. Vaccination centres continue to offer first and second dose vaccinations to everyone over 16 years old. 12-15 year olds who are eligible for vaccination will receive invitation from their GPs.
The deadline for those working in care home (other than family, friends and essential care givers) to be fully vaccinated is 11 November. You must have your first dose to be fully protected by the 16 September 2021. This will allow for the second jab in time for when the regulations come into force. Read the Government guidance in full.
It is still a legal requirement for people who have symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate and book a PCR test.
Everyone aged 18 years and older can have a free antibody test. Antibody tests help to improve our understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection. You can opt in for antibody testing when booking your PCR. If your PCR test result is positive you may be selected for antibody testing.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
In week 35 (Monday 23rd August – Sunday 29th August) there were 1,918 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these:
450 were in Stroud
373 were in Gloucester
373 were in Cheltenham
261 were in Tewkesbury
241 were in Cotswold
220 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 01/09/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 298.9 in Gloucestershire, 378.4 in the South West, and 305.1 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 33 (Saturday 14th August – Friday 20th August) there were 6 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 6.4% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.0% of all deaths) in Week 32.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 28th August they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 625 (3 new)
Friday 27th August 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Make staying safe part of your bank holiday plans. With cases of Covid continuing to rise in our county make sure that you have all the essentials for a safe summer bank holiday. Get out in the fresh air or let fresh air indoors if meeting others; take regular rapid tests; and if you haven’t already – get vaccinated!
If you are 16 or 17 years old get your first Covid vaccination. If you have already been invited for your jab please follow the instructions to book an appointment or look out for opportunities to attend a local drop-in clinic. Vaccination centres continue to offer first and second dose vaccinations to everyone over 16 years old.
Long Covid – a message from young people to young people. In a new series of NHS videos, three previously fit and health young people have shared their stories of suffering debilitating long Covid symptoms in a bid to urge young people to get double jabbed.
By law, anyone working or entering a care home (other than family, friends and essential care givers) must have had both doses of the Covid vaccination by 11 November. To meet this deadline they must have booked and received their first dose by September 16 2021. This will allow for the second jab in time for when the regulations come into force.
Get more from your PCR test. It is still a legal requirement for people who have symptoms of COVID-19 to self-isolate and book a PCR test.
Now, everyone aged 18 years and older can have a free antibody test. Antibody test help to improve our understanding of immunity against COVID-19 from vaccination and infection. If your PCR test result is positive you may be selected for antibody testing.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 34 (Monday 16th August – Sunday 22nd August) there were 2,308 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
492 were in Gloucester
480 were in Cheltenham
480 were in Stroud
302 were in Tewkesbury
283 were in Cotswold
271 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 364.0 in Gloucestershire, 484.5 in the South West, and 326.6 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 32 (Saturday 7th August – Friday 13th August) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.1% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.4% of all deaths) in Week 31.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 21st August they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 622 (3 new).
Friday 20th August 2021:
Key messages from GCC
As of Monday (16 August), rules on self-isolation have changed. This means that anyone who has been fully vaccinated (received both Covid jabs), does not have to isolate after being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If you are not fully vaccinated, you still need to self-isolate if you are a close contact. However, even if fully vaccinated, you should still isolate if you have tested positive yourself or if you have Covid symptoms.
Around 75% of 18-29 year olds in Gloucestershire have had their first Covid jab. Vaccination sites and drop-in clinics continue to offer first and second doses of the Covid vaccine to everyone aged 18 years and over. If you have already been invited for your jab please follow the instructions to book an appointment or look out for opportunities to attend a local drop-in clinic.
Test regularly and help keep your loved ones safe this summer. You can access your free rapid test by collecting a kit from a local pharmacy to take home, taking a test on-site at a local pharmacy, ordering a test kit online to use at home or picking up kit from our outreach team. Follow our social media accounts to find out where they are each day.
Meeting up with friends and family outside also helps to prevent the spread of Covid as fresh air helps blow the virus particles away. If you do have visitors to your home, open windows and doors to let the fresh air in.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 33 (Monday 9th August – Sunday 15th August) there were 1,966 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
523 were in Gloucester
410 were in Cheltenham
373 were in Stroud
260 were in Tewkesbury
218 were in Cotswold
182 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 302.0 in Gloucestershire, 347.8 in the South West, and 305.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID-19
In week 31 (Saturday 31 July – Friday 6 August) there was 1 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.9% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 30
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 14 August they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 619 (5 new).
Friday 13th August 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
From Monday, 16 August, rules on self-isolation are changing. This means that anyone who has been fully vaccinated (received both Covid jabs), will not have to isolate after being in close contact with someone who has COVID-19. If you are not fully vaccinated, you will still need to self-isolate if you are a close contact. However, even if fully vaccinated, you should still isolate if you have tested positive yourself or if you have Covid symptoms.
Around 75% of 18-29 year olds in Gloucestershire have had their first Covid jab. Vaccination sites and drop-in clinics continue to offer first and second doses of the Covid vaccine to everyone aged 18 years and over. If you have already been invited for your jab please follow the instructions to book an appointment or look out for opportunities to attend a local drop-in clinic.
Test regularly and help keep your loved ones safe this summer. You can access your free rapid test by collecting a kit from a local pharmacy to take home, taking a test on-site at a local pharmacy, ordering a test kit online to use at home or picking up kit from our outreach team. Follow our social media accounts to find out where they are each day.
Meeting up with friends and family outside also helps to prevent the spread of Covid as fresh air helps blow the virus particles away. If you do have visitors to your home, open windows and doors to let the fresh air in.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 32 (Monday 2nd July – Sunday 8th August) there were 1853 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
443 were in Cheltenham
454 were in Gloucester
342 were in Stroud
291 were in Tewkesbury
168 were in Cotswold
155 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 288 in Gloucestershire, 344.5 in the South West, and 297.1 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 30 (Saturday 24th July – Friday 30th July) there was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.2% of all deaths) in Week 29
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 31st July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 614 (0 new).
Tewkesbury Borough Council Bulletin:
Situation report
•Nationally, there are currently 6,179,506 cases, which are up by 377,945 over the last two weeks.
•In Gloucestershire, there are 1,845cases, an increase of 14 since last reported two weeks ago. The rate per 100,000 is 288.
•In Tewkesbury, there are 289 cases, an increase of 76 since last reported two weeks ago. The rate per 100,000 is 299.
•One person in Gloucestershire has lost their life in the last 14 days, after testing positive for Covid-19.
•18 Gloucestershire Covid-19 patients are in hospital, with 102 patients on virtual wards (home-based care) – 70 of these patients have been fully vaccinated.
Service delivery
•The refresh of both the Covid-19 Corporate Recovery Plan and the Council Plan has been undertaken by the corporate team and will be presented at Executive Committee on 2 September and then onto Council.
•Planning committee site visits have been reinstated.
•The Civic Suite at the Public Services Centre has reopened, but the council is encouraging users to limit the number of external people who use them for the time being.
•There are concerns about the national driver shortage and how this could affect our waste and recycling service. Ubico has a business continuity plan in place and it has coped very well so far, in comparison to similar service providers around the country.
Environmental health:
•Officers are continuing to see outbreaks in businesses and the team is providing them with support and advice on containment and covid-safety.
•The team is very busy with business as usual and is seeing an increasing number of general complaints and reports about a variety of issues.
•Lots of businesses are retaining covid-secure measures and have received a letter of support in doing this, co-signed by the county council’s director of public health and Tewkesbury Borough Council’s head of community services.
•CPOs are actively promoting and supporting business with updated signage.
High street recovery:
•Work is underway to begin promoting the Welcome Back Fund. The fund will help us to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism.
•The High Street Recovery action plan has been approved.
Community
•Holiday Activities Fund: the activities and food parcels organised by Young Gloucestershire are open for bookings for young people across Tewkesbury Borough on free school meals at https://www.youngglos.org.uk/school-community/holiday-activities.
•Holiday Hunger/Summer Grants scheme: Gloucestershire County Council have allocated Tewkesbury Borough Council £70,000 to set up a summer grants scheme to provide food and fuel vouchers for vulnerable families with children under 5 years of age.
Business
•The team continues to receive high numbers of Test and Trace support payment applications and are working through these as quickly as possible. •All current grant schemes are now closed, with emphasis now on the post grant assurance framework.
Friday 6th August 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Getting both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination is still our best chance of protecting ourselves from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 and those people who are most at risk from the virus. Vaccination sites continue to offer first and second doses of the Covid vaccine to everyone aged 18 years and over. If you have already been invited for your jab please follow the instructions to book an appointment or look out for opportunities to attend a local drop-in clinic
Around three in four (75 per cent) 18-29 year olds in Gloucestershire have already had their first Covid jab. Mr Noel Peter, Consultant in Trauma and Orthopaedics at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, explains why younger people should get the jab, even if they think they are at lower risk from the virus.
The NHS in Gloucestershire would like to reassure people aged 16 and 17 that they will receive an invite from local NHS services to book in for their vaccination soon, there is no need for them to contact their GP surgery at this time. This follows the announcement from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that 16 and 17 year olds will be eligible for a first dose of Pfizer.
There is new mandatory vaccination for care home staff guidance published by the Government. We are currently working through this guidance for local implementation.
Covid is still with us and you could be passing it on without knowing. Testing twice-weekly if you don’t have symptoms helps to protect others around you. Collect your free rapid test from one of over 100 pharmacies county-wide; take a test on-site at your local pharmacy; order a test kit online to use at home. Pick up kit from our outreach team – follow our social media accounts to find out where they are each day.
Secondary school pupils who have been testing regularly whilst at school are encouraged to keep going throughout the summer holidays.
The test, trace and isolate steps will continue to play an important role in managing the virus and reduce the risk of it mutating and new variants developing. It remains a legal requirement, to self-isolate if you are Covid positive and until at least 16 August, for all contacts of a positive case to isolate. If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid you are still encourage to get a PCR test.
The public is being urged to continue to use the NHS COVID-19 app to ‘check in’ as changes made from Monday 2 August will result in fewer contacts being advised to self-isolate following a close contact with a positive case.
Meeting up with friends and family outside will also help to prevent the spread of Covid as fresh air helps blow the virus particles away. If you do stay at home open windows and doors to let the fresh air in.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases in week 31 (Monday 26th July – Sunday 1st August) there were 1621 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
395 were in Cheltenham
383 were in Gloucester
306 were in Stroud
233 were in Tewkesbury
158 were in Cotswold
146 were in Forest of Dean
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 253.2 in Gloucestershire, 307.1 in the South West, and 280.4 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 29 (Saturday 17th July – Friday 23rd July) there was 2 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.06% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (0.9% of all deaths) in Week 28
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 31st July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 614 (1 new).
In the week ending the 30th July there were 0 deaths from COVID19 in care homes this was in line with the previous 18 weeks when the CQC data showed 0 deaths mentioning COVID19.
Friday 30th July 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Getting both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination is still our best chance of protecting ourselves from the most severe symptoms of COVID-19 and those people who are most at risk from the virus.
Rapid testing is still really important to help slow the spread of infection. Twice-weekly testing gives you the best chance of stopping Covid in it’s tracks. More than 100 pharmacies across the county are set up as collection points for FREE rapid COVID-19 tests. You can also visit a local pharmacy to take a test on site.
Secondary school pupils who have been testing regularly whilst at school are encouraged to keep going throughout the summer holidays. Testing regularly even though you have no symptoms is an important way to control the virus.
If you can’t meet friends and family outside, remember to open windows and doors to let plenty of fresh air in.
Ill or injured, but not life threatening? Visit NHS 111 or call 111. The 111 phone service can book you into the right NHS service for you e.g. a number of community minor injury & illness units across Glos are open ‘til 8pm
The test, trace and isolate steps will continue to play an important role in managing the virus and reduce the risk of it mutating and new variants developing.
It remains a legal requirement, to self-isolate if you are Covid positive and until at least 16 August, for all contacts of a positive case to isolate. If you
are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid you are still encourage to get a PCR test.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
Cases
In week 30 (Monday 19th July – Sunday 25th July) there were 1758 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
473 were in Gloucester
365 were in Stroud
320 were in Cheltenham
205 were in Forest of Dean
201 were in Tewkesbury
194 were in Cotswold
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 289.7 in Gloucestershire, 360.6 in the South West, and 370.9 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 28 (Saturday 10th July – Friday 16th July) there was 0 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (0.9% of all deaths) in Week 27
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 24th July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 613 (1 new).
Tewkesbury Borough Council Bulletin:
Situation report:
•Nationally, there are currently 5,801,561 cases.
•In Gloucestershire, there are 1,850 cases, an increase of 221 since last reported two weeks ago. The rate per 100,000 is 291.8.
•In Tewkesbury, there are 213 cases, a decrease of 30 since last reported two weeks ago. The rate per 100,000 is 224.2.
•The R-rate for Gloucestershire is between 1.3 and1.5.
•Vaccinations: 87.7% of people over 16 years old have been double vaccinated –this is the highest in the southwest. The number of cases is lower in age groups that are fully vaccinated.
•There have been some reports of vaccine fraud. These include using other people’s ID to get vaccinated and offering vaccination staff bribes for early vaccinations. It is thought this is due to people wanting to go on holiday over the summer.
Service delivery:
Environmental health: •There are still some outbreaks in businesses. Occasionally, this results in a business having to temporarily close due to insufficient staffing. The environmental health team is assisting businesses with outbreaks.
•Enquiries and complaints regarding Covid have reduced. Many businesses are continuing to practice Covid-safety measures.
•Events remain a priority for the team–they are working with organisers to ensure appropriate safety measures are being planned.
•A reminder letter from the Director of Public Health has been distributed to all businesses to ask them to remain cautious now that safety guidance has been lifted.
High street recovery:
•The Welcome Back Fund, which acts as an extension to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and will help us to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism, was signed off by the government on Wednesday.
•The first quarterly claim to the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) was submitted this week to allow us access to funding.
Community:
Holiday Activities Fund:the activities and food parcels organised by Young Gloucestershire are now open for bookings for young people across Tewkesbury Borough on free school meals at https://www.youngglos.org.uk/school-community/holiday-activities
Holiday Hunger/Summer Grantsscheme:GloucestershireCounty Council have allocated Tewkesbury Borough Council£70,000 to set up a summer grants scheme to provide food and fuel vouchers for vulnerable families with children under 5 years of age.
After a brief increase in the number of people requesting support through the Help Hub, requests have once again slowed down.
We have helped several organisations across the borough with successful applications to Gloucestershire County Council’s Covid Prevention Grants scheme. These funds are paid from the Contain Outbreak Management Fund and each organisation will receive approx. £20k.
WAM Youth Funding will be used to employ a male staff member for one year to help recruit and manage more male mentors and clear the backlog of 10-15 young people waiting to be referred. Usually,it takes six months for a young person to be referred and matched with a mentor.£19,770.00
Priors Park Neighbourhood ProjectFunding will be used to continue the delivery of projects or to meet demand of increased activity. Such costs will include admin support and Project Co-ordinator/Project Facilitator costs. Creative workshop materials.Projects include: PPNP Pantry, PPNP Portal, room hire, delivery of monthly meals to older and isolated people, contribution to staff welfare programmes, vehicle running costs but not purchase of vehicles, incidental damage to vehicles, tip runs, collections, deliveries of surplus food and non-food items.£19,920.00
Roses Theatre Trust Funding will support the Roses to restart and expand in-house activities for vulnerable groups following Covid-safety regulations. These include: establishing weekly daytime creative sessions for older and isolated groups. Restarting Roses Bingo and increase sessions to twice a week. The Roses works with Age UK and related community groups to reach isolated elderly. This group was a social lifeline to single elderly people pre-Covid. It was unable to continue due to the majority of users being digitally isolated. Re-establishing weekly visiting groups.£17,814.00. Supporting the Roses to establish a partnership with Inclusion Gloucestershire and to set up a weekly creative drop-in for disabled people in Tewkesbury.
Brockworth Link Continue fundraising to support the charity and provide the services needed. Funding will be used to enable Brockworth Link to continue supporting the community. Inclusive workshops designed to tackle and address the challenges that the Covid pandemic has exacerbated within the community. Workshops will provide support for those within the community who were already suffering from varied physical and emotional health issues such as isolation and anxiety, panic attacks, drug and alcohol abuse, fractured family units, disrupted school learning, domestic violence and thoughts and attempts of suicide. £18,961.00
GL3 Community Hub Funding will allow the community hub to provide free room hire to the many charities supporting our community (inclusive of utilities). The salary will allow the General Manager to develop new services, train more volunteers and provide more structured support to those most in need. This will include advertising, marketing, obtaining providers, facilities, Covid risk assessments, support to small charities for governance and policies.£19,680.00
The Coopers Edge Trust – increased home working has increased isolation and reduced community interaction.The trust will set up a work-from-home space in the community centre, offering residents an escape from isolation and increasing community interaction. The trust will transition to a subscription model when funding is gone if this service is still required.£20,000
Business:
•The application window for the Extended Restrictions Grant closed on Sunday, 25 July. We received a low number of applications despite targeted communications to eligible businesses. The total number of applications was 105 and we hope to make payments to successful applicants shortly.
•We continue to receive high numbers of Test and Trace support payment applications, although these have decreased slightly now that schools have broken up for the summer. We have received 27 applications over the last week.
Friday 23rd July 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
It’s important to remember that Step 4 is the next phase in the Government’s roadmap, but it’s not the last in overcoming Covid. Cases continue to rise across the county and people are encouraged to move forward but with caution.
Getting both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination is still our best chance of protecting ourselves from the most severe symptoms and those people who are most at risk from the virus. There are lots of drop-in clinics taking place across the county and a new dedicated webpage has been set up to share details of the next available clinics.
The Rapid Testing Team have been out and about in the county this week handing out kits and talking to people about the importance of regulars rapid testing to help stop Covid in it’s tracks. You can find out where they are each day via the council’s social media feeds.
You can also pick up rapid test kit from more than 100 pharmacies county-wide with many now offering on-site testing – this is especially good for people who have never done a rapid test using a Lateral Flow Device (LFD) before.
It remains a legal requirement, to self-isolate if you are Covid positive and until at least 16 August, for all contacts of a positive case to isolate. If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid, you are still encouraged to get a PCR test.
Although no longer a legal requirement, face coverings, social distancing alongside regular handwashing and increase ventilation remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid.
As an organisation, we will be gradually bringing staff back into our buildings and will continue to ask them and visitors to wear a face covering when moving around. We will also continue with social distancing for the comfort and safety of everyone. We will also continue to ask visitors to check in’ using the NHS App.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases in week 29 (Monday 12th July – Sunday 18th July) there were 2577 confirmed cases of COVID19. Of these cases:
647 were in Gloucester
518 were in Stroud
408 were in Cheltenham
404 were in Forest of Dean
302 were in Tewkesbury
298 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 395.8 in Gloucestershire, 504.2 in the South West, and 517.9 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 27 (Saturday 3rd June – Friday 9th July) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.9% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 26
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 17th July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 613 (1 new).
Friday 16th July 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
On Monday, the Prime Minister confirmed plans to move into Step 4 of the roadmap on July 19th, which removes legal restrictions around face coverings, social distancing and working from home. Step 4 is not the last step in overcoming Covid and as cases are still increasing it’s right and encouraged for people to move forward with caution.
Getting both doses of the COVID-19 vaccination is still our best chance of protecting ourselves from the most severe symptoms and those people who are most at risk from the virus.
Rapid testing is still really important to help slow the spread of infection as society opens up. Twice-weekly rapid tests give you the best chance of stopping Covid in it’s tracks. It also gives you reassurance that you are still doing everything you can to prevent passing the virus on to those you care about.
The test, trace and isolate steps will continue to play an important role in managing the virus and reduce the risk of the virus mutating and new variants developing.
It remains a legal requirement, to self-isolate if you are Covid positive and until at least 16 August, for all contacts of a positive case to isolate. If you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid, you are still encouraged to get a PCR test.
Although no longer a legal requirement from 19th July, face coverings, social distancing and regular handwashing remain effective ways to help reduce the risk of spreading Covid. Many businesses and residents will choose to continue with some or all of these measures.
As an organisation, we will be gradually bringing staff back into our buildings and will continue to ask them and visitors to wear a face covering when moving around. We will also continue with social distancing for the comfort and safety of everyone. We will also continue to ask visitors to check in’ using the NHS App.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 28 (Monday 5th July – Sunday 11th July) there were 1673 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
431 were in Gloucester
331 were in Cheltenham
246 were in Forest of Dean
238 were in Tewkesbury
218 were in Stroud
209 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 255.7 in Gloucestershire, 279.5 in the South West, and 343.5 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 26 (Saturday 26th June – Friday 2nd July) there was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 25
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 10th July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 3rd July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Tewkesbury Borough Council Bulletin
Situation report:
Cases are continuing to rise. Nationally, there are 5,281,098 cases, an increase of 452,000since last reported two weeks ago.
Across the country, 63 people have lost their lives in the last 24 hours, and 257 have lost their lives in the last seven days.
In Gloucestershire, there are 1,638 cases, an increase of 484 since last reported two weeks ago.
In Tewkesbury, there are 243 cases, a decrease of 12 since last reported two weeks ago.
The R-rate for the southwest is between 1.3 –1.6amongst the highest in the country.
Vaccinations: 46,097,464 people have received their first vaccination and 35,341,428 people have also received their second vaccination. Service delivery
Property and asset management:
In line with the lifting of government restrictions, the Public Services Centre will reopen to the public on Monday, 19 July and a limited number of officers will return to work in the building each day. To maintain a safe environment in the building, customers will be encouraged to book appointments for face-to-face meetings with officers rather than dropping in. However, managers will ensure that teams are sufficiently staffed on-site to ensure that any drop-ins can still be seen.
Communications:
In anticipation of the reopening of the Public Services Centre, messages have been added to our website and social media channels to encourage customers to book appointments.
Growth Hub:
The Growth Hub will be open from next week. Appointments will be available for booking after the first few days.
High street recovery:
High Streets Heritage Action Zone for Tewkesbury High Street has now launched, and the webpages are live. Ullin Jodah-McStea, the full-time Programme Manager for the scheme, is now in post.
A grant action plan for the Welcome Back Fund -which acts as an extension to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and helps us to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism -has been submitted to the Government for approval –we are still awaiting sign-off on this.
The barriers on Tewkesbury High Street will be removed in the evening on Monday,19 July and the area will benefit from a deep clean by GCC Highways and Ubico.
Community:
The number of people requesting support through the Help Hub is rising slightly elsewhere in the county but remains low in Tewkesbury Borough.
Holiday Activities Fund: borough-wide activity schemes organised by Young Gloucestershire are now open for bookings for young people on free school meals. Further COMF(Covid Outbreak Management Fund) funding has created extra spaces for young people not on free school meals -booking for these spaces will be available from next week.
Gloucestershire County Council have allocated a further £50k per district to develop a summer grants scheme for vulnerable families who need assistance with food and fuel. Further dialogue regarding how to manage this scheme will take place shortly.
Applications for the small community grants scheme are coming in steadily at a rate of two-to-three per week.
A workshop designed to inform community groups of the best way to crowd-fund their projects was held last week. Positive feedback was received from the 20 groups that attended.
Business:
A new Additional Restrictions Grant was launched on 7 July –applications will run until 25 July. Despite a targeted email sent to potentially eligible applicants, the uptake has been disappointing and so the team have been ringing businesses to encourage them to apply. By the end of play on 15 July, we had received 55 applications.
We are continuing to receive Test and Trace Support payment applications in large numbers. We have had 221 applications since the start of June
Friday 9th July 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Subject to confirmation next Monday 12 July, England will move into Step 4 of the Government’s roadmap on Monday 19 July. This means we will move away from legal restrictions including: limits on numbers of people who can meet up indoors and outside, wearing face coverings and social distancing.
Test and trace will continue and people will still need to isolate if they test positive – with some contact isolation, such as in schools set to stop. Contingency plans will remain in place in case there are changes to the situation, for example during the winter months.
Making sure you have had both COVID-19 vaccinations is crucial. Vaccines have saved thousands of lives and continue to prove effective against variants such as Delta. Vaccinations are being offered to all over 18s in England. The interval for second jabs for the over 40s has already been reduced from 12 to eight weeks and following the Prime Minister’s announcement this week, under 40s will also have their jab brought forward, with booster vaccinations set to be rolled out to the most vulnerable. Your GP will be in touch as soon as it’s your turn.
The Department for Transport has announced that whilst the red travel list will remain those who are double vaccinated will not have to isolate on return from countries on the amber list.
A new walk-through coronavirus (COVID-19) testing facility has opened for those with symptoms to book appointments at Coronation Square, Edinburgh Place (GL51 7RG) in Cheltenham, as part of the government’s drive to continue to improve the accessibility of COVID-19 testing for local communities. The new site is situated so it is easily accessible without a car. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book a test at uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. The government is committed to making it even easier to get tested and to reducing the time it takes to receive test results.
Free, twice-weekly rapid testing is available to everyone without symptoms. Getting tested even though you have no symptoms will be critical to control the virus as society reopens, including the spread of variants. Many more pharmacies in the county are offering on-site testing, which is especially good for people who haven’t taken a rapid test before or want some support to do it. All locations, including kit collection points can be found on the NHS Finder Map.
Washing your hands, keep your distance and wearing a face covering in busy areas are still the best ways of protecting yourself and others from catching and spreading COVID-19.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 26 (Monday 28th June- Sunday 4th July) there were 1490 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
445 were in Gloucester
290 were in Cheltenham
254 were in Stroud
248 were in Tewkesbury
149 were in Cotswold
104 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 226.0 in Gloucestershire, 190.3 in the South West, and 245.0 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 25 (Saturday 19th June – Friday 25th June) there was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.0% of all deaths) in Week 24
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 3rd July they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Deaths in Care Homes: 406 (0 new)
Friday 2nd July 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
As expected, as lockdown restrictions have been eased and people have started to mix more, so has Covid. Cases are going up across the country – with some areas, including Gloucestershire, seeing more rapid growth. The majority of cases in the county are in younger people aged 10-29 years old – mostly as a result of community transmission – but we are seeing outbreaks in schools and places of work which are being well managed.
To date, we have seen relatively low rates in Gloucestershire and across the south west. This is good news but it could also explain why our cases are rising more quickly than in some other areas with less people having gained a level of immunity from some exposure to the virus. Add to that, we are testing more people than ever before!
Getting vaccinated is the best way to protect yourself and others. All adults aged over 18 years can now get a their vaccine, with the second dose for over 40s being accelerated from 12 to eight weeks in between. One dose of the vaccine offers good levels of protection, but to get maximum protection everyone must get a second dose.
Three local GP-led vaccination sites are holding an additional ‘drop-in’ service this weekend in the Stroud, Cirencester and Gloucester areas – for anyone over the age of 18 who has yet to take up the offer of their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Everyone must continue with regular rapid COVID-19 testing, even if they have been vaccinated.
Anyone with symptoms should self-isolate immediately and get tested – there is help and support available for things such as self-isolation payments. If you have been told to stay at home and self-isolate because you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for Covid you should now get a PCR test – even if you don’t have symptoms. You must continue to self-isolate for the full ten days even if your PCR result is negative!
And remember to:
– Wash your hands well and often
– Wear a face covering where required
– Keep your distance (remember the two metre rule)
– Get out in the fresh air or if you are staying inside let lots of fresh air in
– Limit how many people you meet up with – stick to six or two households inside and up to 30 outside – still remembering that two metre rule!
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 26 (Monday 21st June – Sunday 27thJune) there were 1186 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
347 were in Gloucester
303 were in Cheltenham
259 were in Tewkesbury
122 were in Stroud
99 were in Cotswold
56 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 178.3 in Gloucestershire, 127.5 in the South West, and 158.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 24 (Saturday 12th June – Friday 18th June) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 23
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 26th June they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
*Please the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Tewkesbury Borough Council: Situation report: • Cases are continuing to rise locally. Nationally, the rate per 100k is 169. In Gloucestershire, the rate per 100k is 181. • The R-rate for the south west is between 1.3 – 1.7. Nationally, it is 1.2 – 1.4. • There has been a sharp rise in cases in Tewkesbury Borough – the rate for the borough is 268 per 100k (an increase of 119% between 18 – 24 June). • The highest case rate in the county is in Tewkesbury West and Twyning (at Middle Super Output Area (MSOA) level) – the area currently has 59 cases and a rate per 100k of 515.4. • Despite the significant increase in number of cases in the last 21 days, there are low numbers in hospital and intensive care, as of 28 June there were 14 admitted patients. • Vaccinations: 84.8% of all adults in the county have received their first vaccination and 93.6% of JVC groups 1-9.
Service delivery:
High street recovery:
•Tewkesbury High Streets Heritage Action Zone officially launched this week. A press release has been issued to promote this.
•An action plan for the Welcome Back Fund -which acts as an extension to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and helps us to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism -has been submitted to the Government for approval –we are still awaiting sign-off on this.
•We are continuing to promote the ‘Let’s Spring Back’ campaign –which encourages people to return to the borough’s high streets and shop locally. Three videos have been produced to promote local high streets on social media–the first of which was shared yesterday about Winchcombe retailers welcoming customers back safely. A new campaign, which will continue the ‘shop local’ message over the summer, will be launched in the next month.
Property and asset management:
•The property team is preparing to reopen the Public Services Centre to the public –this will be by appointment-only. This will be communicated and promoted in due course and is, of course, subject to any government restrictions.
Environmental health:
•The environmental health team is still very busy with business as usual and an increasing number of local covid outbreaks in business settings.
•Enquiries relating to events, including Temporary Event Notices, are still high. However, good liaison with organisers through the Safety Advisory Group is helping to ensure these events are held in a safe manner and include covid-safety measures to reduce transmission.
•The Community Safety team are supporting three community events with Gloucestershire Constabulary and Infobuzz on Monday and Tuesday next week using the police bus. They will be at: Bishop’s Cleeve on Monday,5 July (morning). Northway on Tuesday,6July(morning). Twyning Tuesday, 6 July (afternoon).
•Additional resource is being sought for our licensing service which is still impacted by long term sickness.
Internal audit:
•One member of the team has now returned to internal audit from the business cell. This team member will lay the foundations for the recovery of the team’s work. This will initially include a review of the suite of internal audit recommendations and will agree new implementation dates with managers, re-instigate the quarterly meeting with key members, and conduct a review of the team’s workplan and quality assurance and improvement plan.
Community:
•The number of people requesting support through the Help Hub remains very low.
•Holiday Activities Fund:Young Gloucestershire is in the process of confirming activity across the borough for young people on free school meals. Food will be provided as well as activity across four weeks during the summer. Young Gloucestershirehas confirmed activity in Tewkesbury, Northway, Bishop’s Cleeve, Churchdown and Winchcombe–it is in the process of confirming activity in Brockworth. Food parcels will be provided for those who can’t take part in the activities.
•The council’s Capital Grants Panel has met and awarded grants (further details for members will be provided shortly). Many of these grants are influenced by Covid 19.•Applications for the council’s Covid-19 Community Grants scheme continue to be submitted.
Business
•Restart Grant applications closed on 30 June 2021. TBC have paid out over £3.8m in total.
•The new Additional Restrictions Grant (covering the four-week delay in Stage 4 of the government’s road map) launches on 7 July and ends on 25 July.This scheme will target businesses that either can still not open under Stage 3 of the roadmap, or those which are open but remain severely financially impacted. A press release has been issued to promote this.
•Test and Trace Support payment applications have increased over the last couple of weeks due to the rising number of cases in our borough and the high number of children sent home from school to self-isolate.We have had 66 claims in the last sevendays and lots of queries throughemail and customer services.The customer services team isworking with us to help manage this increased level of contact.
Friday 25th June 2021:
Key messages
Whilst, thankfully, the number of Gloucestershire residents getting really ill or sadly dying from Covid is now much lower, the numbers of infections across the county is going up. Now is not the time to take our foot off the pedal – we must keep working together to keep cases down so that we can move to a more normal way of life as soon as possible
Continue to work from home where you can, stick to meeting outdoors in the fresh air whenever possible (up to 30 people), limit the number of people you meet with indoors (up to six people or two households), wash your hands regularly, wear a face covering where necessary and continue to social distance.
Get both doses of your COVID-19 vaccination when invited. Vaccines are the best way to protect people from coronavirus and have saved thousands of lives. Vaccinated people are far less likely to get Covid with symptoms and are even more unlikely to get serious COVID-19, to be admitted to hospital, or to die from it. One dose of the vaccine offer good levels of protection, but to get maximum protection everyone must get a second dose.
All adults aged over 18 years are now eligible for their Covid vaccination. Second doses for all over 40s have been accelerated by reducing the time between doses from 12 weeks to 8 weeks. When it’s your turn, you will be invited by your GP – there is no need to contact your doctor or go out of county for your jab.
New analysis by Public Health England (PHE) shows for the first time that two doses of COVID-19 vaccines are highly effective against hospitalisation from the Delta variant. The analysis suggests the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is 96 per cent effective and the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is 92 per cent effective against hospitalisation after both doses.
Get your free, rapid COVID-19 test. Rapid tests are for people with no symptoms – they can help us detect cases of Covid that we might not otherwise know about, so that quick action can be taken to prevent the virus spreading There are more than 100 pharmacies county-wide where you can pick up your free rapid tests to use at home. Some pharmacies have now come on board to offer on site testing too – on site testing is good for people who want to get used to taking the tests first before they do it at home.
If you have been told to stay at home and self-isolate because you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 you should now get a PCR test – even if you don’t have symptoms. You must continue to self-isolate for the full ten days even if your PCR result is negative!
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 25 (Monday 14th June – Sunday 20th June) there were 642 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
195 were in Gloucester
161 were in Tewkesbury
92 were in Stroud
74 were in Cotswold
73 were in Cheltenham
47 were in Forest of Dean
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 113.8 in Gloucestershire, 88.9 in the South West, and 100.4 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 23 (Saturday 5th June – Friday 11th June) there were 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 22
Friday 18th June 2021:
Key messages
On Monday 14 June, Government announced that plans to further unlock restrictions will be paused for four weeks. This means that the majority of the current restrictions will remain in place until 19 July, including: social distancing; working from home where you can; and limits on the numbers of people who can meet indoors (up to six people or two households) or up to 30 people outdoors. There will be some exceptions to the current rules.
By the end of this week, all adults aged over 18 years will be eligible for their Covid vaccination. At the same time, following the national announcement people over the age of 40 should have their second dose brought forward from 12 to 8 weeks. When it’s your turn, you will be invited by your GP – there is no need to contact your doctor or go out of county for your jab.
You can collect your free, rapid COVID-19 test kits from one of five libraries located in and around Gloucester City. The libraries include: Gloucester City, Hucclecote, Longlevens, Churchdown and Quedgeley. Please check opening hours as these will vary between each site. There are also more than 100 pharmacies county-wide where you can pick up your free rapid tests, with some pharmacies starting to come on board to offer onsite testing.
Self isolate, this means not going to school, work or to the shops, and book a Covid test, if you have any of the main Covid symptoms. These are: a high temperature, a new and continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. If you have been told to stay at home and self-isolate because you are a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19 you should now get a PCR test – even if you don’t have symptoms. You must continue to self-isolate for the full ten days even if your PCR result is negative
Hands, face and fresh air are still important steps to take to keep each other safe. EVEN IF you have had both jabs, you should still follow these rule.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
Cases
In week 24 (Monday 7th June – Sunday 13th June) there were 401 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
110 were in Gloucester
108 were in Cheltenham
76 were in Tewkesbury
46 were in Stroud
32 were in Forest of Dean
29 were in Cotswold
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 57.3 in Gloucestershire, 46.3 in the South West, and 74.7 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 22 (Saturday 29th – Friday 4th June) there were 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 21
Tewkesbury Borough Council:
Situation report
•Cases are continuing to rise. In Gloucestershire, the rate per 100k is 54. Nearly all cases are of the Delta variant, and many of those infected are 18 –24-year-olds who have not been vaccinated.
•The virus is not currently causing operational issues in the NHS in Gloucestershire; at present, no patients are in intensive care beds. However, the NHS is preparing to be ready for a possible third wave in early autumn..
•735,000 vaccinations have been administered in Gloucestershire and over 18s are currently being offered the vaccine.
Service delivery
High street recovery:
•We are continuing to promote the ‘Let’s Spring Back’ campaign –which encourages people to return to the borough’s high streets and shop locally –including regular social media posts, and adverts and editorial content in local publications. A new campaign, which will continue the ‘shop local’ message over the summer, will be launched in the next month.
•An action plan for the Welcome Back Fund–which acts as an extension to the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund and helps us to create and promote a safe environment for local trade and tourism-has been submitted to the Government for approval.
Property and asset management:
•Members of the public who wish to attend the in-person Planning Committee and Council meetings next Tuesday, 22 June are required to register online–places can be booked via our website. This message has also been promoted on our social media channels.
Community:
•The number of people requesting support through the Help Hub remains very low.
•Young Gloucestershire is leading on the creation of a Holiday Activities Fund. This will provide holiday activities and food for young people on free school meals throughout the summer holidays.
Business:
•Restart Grant applications are slowing down. We have paid out a total of £3,806,700 to 498 businesses.
•We will be looking into designing a new Additional Restrictions Grant to help those businesses most affected by the extension to the restrictions past 21 June.
•Self-isolation payment applications have increased as Covid rates rise across the borough. In the last week alone,we have received 17 applications
Friday 11th June 2021:
Key messages
We’re making good progress in our fight against COVID-19 but the recent increase in cases both locally and elsewhere in the country proves that it hasn’t gone away.
Understandably, news of new variants, raises concern within communities, but the advice remains the same to make sure we keep protecting ourselves and our loved ones:
Wash your hands well and often
Wear a face covering where required
Keep your distance
And if you’re meeting others indoors, make sure you’re letting in lots of fresh air
If you think you have any of the symptoms, isolate straight away, get a PCR test as soon as possible and give as much information as possible to the NHS Track and Trace Team
It’s also crucial that we get tested regularly because as we mix more, Covid could be doing the same. Rapid testing is for people with no symptoms, it is free, quick and convenient. You can now collect your test kits from more than 100 community pharmacies across the county. ALWAYS remember to record your results – positive or negative!
In light of the increased number of COVID-19 cases specifically in and around the Barton and Tredworth area of Gloucester, the Testing Outreach Team will be in the area handing out test kits every day this week, between 10-12 and 2-4.
People aged 25-29 years old are now being invited to get their first COVID-19 vaccination.
The way you access your Covid vaccine in Gloucestershire is slightly differently to most parts of the country. If you are eligible and haven’t already been contacted, your local GP will be in touch soon – you do not need to contact the surgery or go out of county for your appointment. Once invited you can book a slot at one of the county’s 10 vaccination centres – note these centres don’t appear on the national system
The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine offers a good level of protection against the virus, but for long-lasting and better protection a second vaccination is needed. When it’s your turn please get your second dose – your vaccine has been allocated and will be waiting for you at the same centre where you received your first dose.
Help stop the spread of infection, help protect your friends and family, help us get back to a more normal way of life, as quickly as possible.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
Cases
In week 23 (Monday 31st May – Sunday 6th June) there were 281 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
84 were in Gloucester
71 were in Cheltenham
48 were in Tewkesbury
28 were in Forest of Dean
27 were in Stroud
23 were in Cotswold
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 40.3 in Gloucestershire,18.3 in the South West, and 49.99 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 21 (Saturday 22nd – Friday 28th May) there were 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 20
Friday 4th June 2021:
Key Messages:
Back to school: What test gets you tops marks without needing to study? A rapid Covid test, of course! Regular testing is still really important in our fight against COVID-19. As part of your back to school prep, make sure you’ve got your hand gel, face mask and an average sized grand piano (or just remind yourself what two meters looks like).
Did you know your local pharmacy now offers rapid Covid testing? They are quick, easy and taken twice a week help to protect you and your loved ones. Find your nearest pharmacy offering tests.
Please book your first and second COVID-19 vaccine appointments as soon as your local GP surgery gets in touch to invite them for their vaccination. The first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines offers a good level of protection against COVID-19, but for better, long-lasting protection you need both doses.
We’re making good progress, but we’re not there yet – Professor Sarah Scott updates on how Gloucestershire is doing and gives info on variants in the county.
What do we know about the new COVID-19 variants – This PHE blog tells you more.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
Cases
In week 22 (Monday 24th May– Sunday 30th May) there were 88 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
38 were in Gloucester
17 were in Tewkesbury
12 were in Cheltenham
7 were in Stroud
9 were in Forest of Dean
5 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source as at 16:00 02/06/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 12.6 in Gloucestershire, 9.3 in the South West, and 30.6 in England9.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 20 (Saturday 15th – Friday 21st May) there were 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 19
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 29th May, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 406 (0 new in May)
News from Tewkesbury Borough Council:
Situation report •In Gloucestershire, cases currently stand at 81. The rate per 100k is 12.7. The total number of people who have lost their lives stands at 951.•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases currently stand at 15.The rate per 100k is 15.8. A total of 138 people in the Borough have lost their lives. •Cases are rising slowly. However, there is no evidence that any of the cases are a result of travel, and therefore community transmission is increasing. There are also several cases associated with the Delta variant (the variant first found in India).
Service delivery Environmental Health:•The team is very busy liaising with event organisers who wish to hold events both before and after the end of the government road map. An additional Environment Health officer has been recruited to assist with this work. •Lot of enquiries have been received from businesses regarding safe operation since they reopened on 17 May. •Licensing has remained busy dealing with many types of applications, including an increased number of Temporary Event Notices for smaller events. •The team has commenced clearing the backlog of food inspections that were delayed due to the pandemic.
Communications:•Districtcouncils in Gloucestershire will be using their communications channels to support the NHS in its efforts to vaccinate as many people as possible, as quickly as possible. This is following reports that people are not going for their second jab. •A press release will be issued shortly highlighting that the council has now issued over £30m in government funded grants to local businesses.
Revenues and benefits:•From 1 July 2021, reduced business rates relief of 66% will be available for in-person retail, hospitality and leisure businesses. •The relief available for the period 1 April 2020to 30 June 2021 was 100%, so affected businesses will be paying business rates for the first time in over a year. Revised bills are due to be issued by 14 June.
High street recovery:•The barriers are being monitored proactively and a number of council officers have taken action and straightened them when necessary. The use of the additional space created by the barriers is also being monitored and is still being used by visitors. The placing of the barriers is being reviewed on a weekly basis.
Property and asset management:•The meeting rooms at the council offices have now been set up for members’ meetings. Members and officers who need to attend in-person meetings have been sent details on the Covid-safe arrangements for these rooms. •Further communications will be sent to officers promoting the availability of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests. Officers are encouraged to use the tests and log the results on the .gov website.•The Property team is continuing to work on arrangements for the running of the offices after 21 June –specifically the allocation of desks and the opening of reception.
Business•The council has paid out £3,786,700 in Restart Grants to date. Emails have been sent to all businesses that may be eligible for a grant to encourage them to apply. •All the Additional Restrictions Grant funds have been spent and the team has submitted an application to receive the further £760,000. We should receive this by the end of June.•Self-isolation payment applications have been very quiet –additional publicity is taking place on social media to promote this scheme.
Friday 21st May 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
We continue to promote rapid testing across the county, through the campaign: “I do it twice a week, do you”. Our campaign activity will support increased community outreach and engagement activity by testing centre staff.
We are now officially in Step Three of the Government’s roadmap. This means that people can start to mix more, with up to six people or two households indoors. County council services changed this week in line with the move nationally – the main change for our services, in this step, is the increased capacity for wedding and civil partnership ceremonies.
The roll out of on-site testing in community pharmacies across Gloucestershire continues. This will increase accessibility for those who wish to have additional support in the processing and reporting of their test result and will sit alongside the Pharmacy Collect offer. Three of our four community testing centres now have reduced opening times as part of plans to wind down the sites, as testing forms part of our every day life and the venues used for the centres return to their business as usual activities, serving their local communities.Gloucestershire
COVID-19 stats
Cases
In week 20 (Monday 10th May – Sunday 16th May) there were 54 confirmed cases of COVID 19.
Of these cases:
20 were in Stroud
10 were in Gloucester
8 were in Cotswold
7 were in Cheltenham
7 were in Forest of Dean
2 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 8.8 in Gloucestershire, 9.3 in the South West, and 21.0 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID-19
In week 18 (Saturday 2nd – Friday 7th May) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 17
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 14th May, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisionalfigures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
In week 20 (Monday 10th May – Sunday 16th May) there were 54 confirmed cases of COVID 19.
Tewkesbury Borough Council Bulletin 85 Situation report
•In Gloucestershire, cases currently stand at 55. The total number of people who have lost their lives stands at 952.
•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases currently stand at 3. A total of 138 people in the Borough have lost their lives.
•Nationally, cases currently stand at 4,455221, an increase of 2,874 in the last 24 hours. The number of people who have lost their lives is 127,701, an increase of 7 in last 24 hours.
•Currently, there is only one person across Gloucestershire in hospital with C19, unfortunately they are very poorly and on a ventilator.
Service delivery
Environmental Health:
•Notifications of events, including Temporary Event Notices are continuing to be received. The council is recruiting an additional officer using Contain Outbreak Management Fund to assist in this area.
•The team is monitoring the outcome of reaching Stage 3 of the road map alongside licensing and the police, particularly for hospitality.
•Business as usual and service requests remain high and general enquiries on Stage 3 of the road map have increased.
Communications:
•An animated video has been produced by the TBC communication team to publicise the government’s roadmap and easing of restrictions on 17 May.
•The deadline for the Additional Restrictions Grant scheme (which closed on 16 April) was promoted.
•The TBC communications team is planning an internal communication strategy in readiness for restrictions relaxing further and the potential for some council officers to return to the office more regularly in line with the government’s road map.
•TBC have now paid over £30m in business grants since the start of the pandemic.
Revenues and benefits:
•Formal recovery action on council tax and business rates has commenced. 1,827 council tax summons totalling £3m and £1.2m business rate summons were sent recently. As confirmed in the last update, after a break of 12 months, the first council tax and business rates liability order hearing is set for Friday, 28 May 2021.
•An additional Revenues Officer to support the team in its recovery from the pandemic has been appointed and will start next month.
•21 additional council tax reductionapplications have been received. The total working age claim base is more than 3,000 (a 30% increase on pre-covid figures).
ICT:
•As part of the council’s ‘return to work’ plans, the ICT team is looking into using wi-fi as the main source of connectivity for officers and members when working from the Public Services Centre –this is to create more flexible and agile working spaces.
Property and asset management:
•To address issues raised by members of the public, Ubico now has a dedicated member of staff assigned to maintain the council’s cemeteries in Tewkesbury and Bishop’s Cleeve.
Community
•The County Community Resilience Cell will now meet quarterly, specifically to discuss recovery progress.
•Two task and finish county groups have been asked to focus on digital inclusion and the Holiday Activities Fund. TBC will receive £106,000 grant funding for the Holiday Activities Fund -the potential resource needed for the borough council to deliver this is being considered.
•The number of people requesting support through the Help Hub is now extremely low.
•The community team has begun running online training sessions for VCS community.
•Community Covid grants are still available and are being promoted.
Business
•The council has paid out £3,762,033 of Restart Grants so far (493 payments) which is 88% of the grant we received. The Discretionary Restart Grant Scheme closed on Sunday and we hope to begin the pay out today. That means we have used up all our Additional Restrictions Grant so are eligible to apply for the additional £760k grant
.•Test and Trace scheme applications are very minimal despite opening the category to parents/guardians of school children who have to isolate.This is likely because our Covid-19 rates are low in the borough.
Support for High Streets:
•The work of design agency, V8 is in progress -it includes short films sharing good practice, as well as articles in press and posts on social media.•A consultation with the relevant parish and town councils regarding the Welcome Back Fund -£86,000 -is in progress. A report will go to Executive Committee on 2 June for officers to receive delegated authority to draw up an action plan to use the grant money.
•Let’sSpring Back stickers have been delivered to all High Street businesses in Tewkesbury, Bishop’s Cleeve and Winchcombe.
Following the PM’s announcement that England will be moving to Stage 3 of the roadmap next week, GCC Silver has confirmed our roadmap for local services and will be implementing the recovery plan as previously agreed.
From w/c 17 May, GCC will be working with Avon Healthcare and 1 Central Health to roll out on-site testing in community pharmacies across Gloucestershire. This will increase accessibility for those who wish to have additional support in the processing and reporting of their test result and will sit alongside the Pharmacy Collect offer. This will also mean that we will be closing our four community testing centres in the coming weeks, as testing forms part of our every day life and the venues used for the centres return to their business as usual activities, serving their local communities.
Friday 14th May 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Following the PM’s announcement that England will be moving to Stage 3 of the roadmap next week, GCC Silver has confirmed our roadmap for local services and will be implementing the recovery plan as previously agreed.
From w/c 17 May, GCC will be working with Avon Healthcare and 1 Central Health to roll out on-site testing in community pharmacies across Gloucestershire. This will increase accessibility for those who wish to have additional support in the processing and reporting of their test result and will sit alongside the Pharmacy Collect offer. This will also mean that we will be closing our four community testing centres in the coming weeks, as testing forms part of our every day life and the venues used for the centres return to their business as usual activities, serving their local communities.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
Cases
In week 19 (Monday 3 May – Sunday 9 May) there were 62 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
20 were in Stroud
14 were in Cheltenham
9 were in Gloucester
8 were in Tewkesbury
6 were in Cotswold
5 were in Forest of Dean
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 9.3 in Gloucestershire, 12.4 in the South West, and 21.8 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 17 (Saturday 24 April– Saturday 1 May) there was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 0 (0.0% of all deaths) in Week 16
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 8 May, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Friday 7th May 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Government is expected to announce it’s plans for further easing of restrictions, including guidance around foreign travel. If given the go ahead, from 17 May, people can start to mix more with people outside of their household indoors, including at home, in pubs and restaurants and indoor entertainment venues like cinemas and theatres. People will also be able to stay overnight at friends and families homes.
For now, people should still only meet outdoors with up to six people or two households. Spending time outside means more fresh air circulating – making it more difficult for coronavirus to spread from person to person. Meeting up with other people in outdoor spaces also makes it easier to maintain social distance.
As restrictions continue to ease and we all begin to mix more, remember Covid could be doing the same! There is still a chance of catching and spreading the virus even if you have been vaccinated. There are now more than 110 rapid testing collection points across the county, including our four county-wide testing centres. Please book your rapid test today or find your nearest collection point on our website. Regular, rapid testing is available to everyone without COVID-19 symptoms.
Yesterday (Wednesday 5 May) marked World Hand Hygiene Day, ‘Seconds Save Lives – Clean your Hands’ – a helpful reminder that washing your hands regularly, alongside wearing a face covering, and keeping a safe distance from others, remains just as important now as it did at the start of the pandemic.
Vaccinations in Gloucestershire continue to be rolled out at pace too, with an incredible 500,000 jabs given in total – and over 150,000 of these are second doses.
Guidance around care home visiting has been updated, care home residents in England can now go on low risk trips without having to self isolate for 14 days when they return.
Gloucestershire COVID-19 stats:
In week 18 (Monday 26 April – Sunday 2 May) there were 60 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Cases
In week 18 (Monday 26 April – Sunday 2 May) there were 60 confirmed cases of COVID19.
15 were in Stroud
10 were in Gloucester
10 were in Cotswold
9 were in Forest of Dean
8 were in Cheltenham
8 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 10.7 in Gloucestershire, 13.2 in the South West, and 22.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID-19
In week 16 (Saturday 17 April– Friday 23 April) there was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.0% of all deaths) in Week 15
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 1 May, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death
certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (0 new).
Friday 30th April 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Outdoor gatherings continue to be limited to six people or two households, and people must not socialise indoors with anyone they do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with. We are urging people to not be tempted to move indoors this bank holiday, as it’s expected to be a wet weekend.
Spending time outside means more fresh air circulating – making it more difficult for coronavirus to spread from person to person. Meeting up with other people in outdoor spaces also makes it easier to maintain social distance.
Regular, rapid testing is available to everyone without COVID-19 symptoms. By making twice-weekly testing part of your everyday life you can help supress the virus and keep each other safe. Alongside the vaccine, it is a key part of our journey out of lockdown so that we can return to as normal life as possible, as quickly as possible.
To make it as easy as possible for everyone to access, there are a number of ways to get a rapid test, including: taking a test at a rapid testing site, picking up a testing kit from various locations across the county or ordering a kit online. If you already get tests through your workplace or school, this is still the best route for you. For more information, visit the testing pages on our website.
A new Government campaign “Join the millions’ has launched to encourage any one who hasn’t already to take up the offer of the COVID-19 vaccination. Yesterday (Wednesday 28 April) Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group announced that over 145,000 second vaccination doses have been delivered in the county.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Cases
In week 17 (Monday 19th April – Sunday 25th April) there were 85 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
27 were in Gloucester
16 were in Cotswold
15 were in Stroud
12 were in Tewkesbury
10 were in Cheltenham
5 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 13.8 in Gloucestershire, 15.2 in the South West, and 24.2 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 15 (Saturday 10th April– Friday 16th April) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.0% of all deaths, this compares with 2 (2.0% of all deaths) in Week 14
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 24th April, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (1 new)
Friday 23rd April 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
On Monday 12 April outdoor pubs, shops, gyms and hairdressers reopened in line with the easing of restrictions across England. Outdoor gatherings continue to be limited to six people or two households, and people must not socialise indoors with anyone they do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.
Spending time outside means more fresh air circulating – making it more difficult for coronavirus to spread from person to person. Meeting up with other people in outdoor spaces also makes it easier to maintain social distance.
Regular, rapid testing is now available to everyone without COVID-19 symptoms. By making twice-weekly testing part of your everyday life you can help supress the virus and keep each other safe. Alongside the vaccine, it is a key part of our journey out of lockdown so that we can return to as normal life as possible, as quickly as possible.
To make it as easy as possible for everyone to access, there are a number of ways to get a rapid test, including: taking a test at a rapid testing site, picking up a testing kit from various locations across the county or ordering a kit online. If you already get tests through your workplace or school, this is still the best route for you.
Gold has made the decision to only report on the CQC data monthly. The next update to the CQC data is expected to be on the 6 May. It will then be updated in the first week of each month.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Cases
In week 16 (Monday 12th April – Sunday 18th April) there were 70 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
18 were in Gloucester
17 were in Stroud
16 were in Cheltenham
8 were in Cotswold
6 were in Tewkesbury
5 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 9.1 in Gloucestershire, 12.7 in the South West, and 23.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 14 (Saturday 3rd April– Friday 9th April) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.1% of all deaths, this compares with 1.1 (1.0% of all deaths) in Week 13
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 17th April, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 612 (1 new)
Tewkesbury Borough Council
Situation report:
•In Gloucestershire, cases currently stand at 58 which is down from 70 two weeks ago. The rate per 100k is 9.1. The total number of people who have lost their lives stands at 952.
•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases currently stand at 5. The rate per 100k is 19.8 which is a slight increase from two weeks ago. A total of 138 people in the Borough have lost their lives.
•Nationally, 33,257,651 people have received their first vaccination and 11,192,601 have received their second.
•The Princess Royal, Princess Anne and the Lord Lieutenant joined the Strategic Command Group this week and congratulated everyone in the community for their work and efforts in dealing with the pandemic. Princess Anne was particularly impressed with the way all organisations across the public sector have come together to deal with the many issues that have arisen and to support the community.
Service delivery:
Environmental Health:
•Environmental health officers conducted overnight inspections at hospitality venues last weekend. They were pleased to find that businesses are mostly compliant; the issues identified at two pubs were dealt with and advice has been issued accordingly.
•The team has been receiving an increase in licensing enquiries and in requests for Temporary Events Notices.
Communications:
•We will shortly be sending out an update on the promotional material that V8Media –a digital marketing and design agency -have been producing for us as part of the ‘Reopening the High Street Safely’ campaign.
Revenues and benefits:
•Interviews are due to take place next week for the recruitment of an additional Revenues Officer to support the team in its recovery from the pandemic. The focus of this role will be helping to return collection rates to a pre-pandemic level.
•After a break of 12 months, the first council tax and business rates liability order hearing is set for Friday, 28 May 2021.
Community:
•The county ‘Restart Fund’ of £1m is aimed at getting communities back up and running, and will assist, for example, community events that require financial support. The fund is in the early stages of development and the county has asked districts to contribute to the formulation of the eligibility criteria and to help to identify potential projects.
Business:
•We have received over 400 applications to the Restart Grant scheme and have been carrying out more detailed pre-payment checks at the request of the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. We hope to pay out over 300 grants today totalling more than £2.5m.
•The Discretionary Restart scheme launches next Friday and will be open for two weeks. We will pay these after the application period has closed as we will split the remaining funds from the Additional Restrictions Grant between the successful applicants. We need to spend all of this money by the end of June 2021 so that we can claim a further grant for over £700k.
•The Department of Work and Pensions is lobbying to extend the Test and Trace support grant scheme beyond30 June 2021. Currently, we are receiving few applications for this grant due to the low Covid-19 rates in our borough.
Friday 16th April 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
On Monday 12 April outdoor pubs, shops, gyms and hairdressers reopened in line with the easing of restrictions across England. Outdoor gatherings continue to be limited to six people or two households, and people must not socialise indoors with anyone they do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.
Regular, rapid testing is available to everyone without symptoms. Rapid testing uses Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) to detect cases of Covid that we might not otherwise know about. The tests are quick and easy to do, and results come back in 30 minutes.
To make it as easy as possible for everyone to access, there are a number of ways to get a test. ‘Community Collect’ points have opened at all four of GCC’s community testing centres to complement on site rapid testing. Government has also launched Pharmacy Collect, which pharmacies will be joining over the coming weeks.
We recommend that people who haven’t done a rapid Covid test before, visit a testing centre first to get used to how they work.
GP leaders in the county are reassuring people aged 45-49 that residents will not need to travel outside of the county for their COVID-19 vaccination if they do not wish to.
Even though we are now allowed to socialise more, it’s still important to follow the rules around hands, face, space and fresh air.
Our “Keep going…it will be worth it” campaign continues, highlighting what people can do from 12 April, as well as reminding them of the steps they need to take to keep each other safe and help make sure we make it to the next step in Government’s roadmap. You can find and download our campaign assets from Flickr.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Cases
In week 15 (Monday 5th April – Sunday 12thApril) there were 54 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
17 were in Gloucester
14 were in Cheltenham
9 were in Tewkesbury
5 were in Cotswold
5 were in Forest of Dean
4 were in Stroud
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 9.1 in Gloucestershire, 13.8 in the South West, and 26.5 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 13 (Saturday 27th March – Friday 2nd April) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.2% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.0% of all deaths) in Week 12
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 10th April, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 611 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes – 406 (0 new)
Friday 9th April 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
On Monday 5 April, Government confirmed plans for easing restrictions across England from 12 April. Outdoor pubs, shops, gyms and hairdressers can reopen. Outdoor gatherings must still be limited to 6 people or 2 households, and you must not socialise indoors with anyone you do not live with or have not formed a support bubble with.
The Government has announced that everyone in England without symptoms will be able to get twice weekly rapid Covid-19 tests from Friday 9 April Community Collect points have opened at all four of GCC’s community testing centres to complement on site testing. Government has also launched Pharmacy Collect, which pharmacies will be joining over the coming weeks.
Even though we are now allowed to socialise more, it’s still important to follow the rules around hands, face, space and fresh air as well as getting a regular rapid test if you have no symptoms, but have to leave the house for essential reasons, and taking up the offer of a vaccination when invited.
Our “Keep going…it will be worth it” campaign continues, highlighting what people can do from 12 April as we enter stage two of the roadmap.
Great Western Railway Update:
“As the gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions begins, from today (Monday 29 March) we will be strengthening our busiest services and from 12 April more of our long-distance Intercity services will run with 9 or 10 carriages. Advice remains to keep travel to the minimum, but we want to be sure that we are providing customers with the services they need so that they can return to rail and travel with confidence when the time is right.
We are also planning further additional services in our summer timetable, which starts on Sunday 16 May, which will bring us back to around 90% of our usual timetable. You should now be able to see these in online journey planners so that customers considering trips to the South Cotswolds over the summer can book ahead.
We know that rail has a key role to play in the regional economy, especially for tourism, as we recover from the pandemic, and we want to be sure we are getting this right, if you have any suggestions, or questions, about current or future services, do let me know. We are listening and we want to help.”
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS (Monday-Friday)
North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG (Tuesday-Wednesday)
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold, GL54 1JJ (Wednesday)
Car Park off Newerne Street, Lydney, GL15 5RA (Thursday-Friday)
Car Park, Oldends Lane, Stonehouse, GL10 2DG (Thursday-Sunday)
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH (Saturday-Sunday)
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester, GL19 3BE (Saturday-Sunday)
Lower Lode Depot, Lower Lode Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5TT (Thursday – Monday)
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Cases:
In week 14 (Monday 29 March – Sunday 4April) there were 63 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
14 were in Gloucester
12 were in Cheltenham
10 were in Tewkesbury
10 were in Cotswold
9 were in Stroud
8 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 12.4 in Gloucestershire, 18.5 in the South West, and 36.1 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 12 (Saturday 20 March– Friday 26 March) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.1% of all deaths, this compares with 5 (5.4% of all deaths) in Week 11
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 3 April, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 611 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes – 406 (0 new)
Tewkesbury Borough Council Bulletin:
Situation report:
•In Gloucestershire, cases currently stand at 70 which is down from the previous bulletin. The rate per 100k is 12.4. The number of people who have lost their lives stands at 950.
•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases currently stand at 13 which is down from the previous bulletin. The rate per 100k is 13.7. No people in the Borough have lost their lives since the previous bulletin so the numberremains the same at 137.
•Nationally, 31,807,123 people have received their first vaccination and 6,091,905 have received their second.
Service delivery:
Housing and rough sleepers:
•There are currently 14 rough sleepers across the county with none in Tewkesbury Borough. The first units of new accommodation for rough sleepers will become available in the next couple of weeks.
•Rough sleepers –who are often more vulnerable to respiratory or circulatory illness –are being targeted with a newly-launched vaccination programme.
•The team is now working under a new cross-county governance scheme that has been born out of the Covid-19 response. This will enable between Gloucestershire County Council, district authorities and partner agencies.
Environmental Health:
•Environmental health officers carried out routine checks over the Easter weekend. These followed the start of the government’s road map and, overall, both the public and businesses were found to be complying with the current rules.
•Two events were also hosted: dog agility classes at Dowty Community Centre and Maisemore Point-to-Point. Both events went well and Covid compliance measures were very well managed. Further events are planned and officers will ensure that these will adhere to government restrictions. •We are also working across the county and borough to ensure we help to welcome visitors back to the area.
•The team will be restarting ‘business as usual’ from 12 April and will be responding to service requests that require access to people’s homes.
•The team continues to be very busy supporting businesses that are preparing to reopen on Monday, 12 April.
Human Resources:
•We are now halfway through our six-week course of online yoga sessions for officers. The option to take part in the sessions by watching recordings of the classes is proving particularly popular –approximately 30 people have been watching the recordings each week in addition to those who attend the live sessions.
Tourist Information Centres:
•Tewkesbury Tourist Information Centre re-opens Wednesday, 14 April, and will initially open from Wednesday to Saturday each week. The Heritage Centre remains closed in line with national guidance.
•Winchcombe Tourist Information Centre will hopefully re-open in May, once the Heritage Centre is able to accommodate it following the completion of building works.
Re-opening High Streets:
•We have been awarded a further £84,500 through the Welcome Back fund, a follow-on from the Re-Opening High Streets scheme. Further guidance is expected shortly.
Property:
•Tewkesbury Leisure Centre will reopen on Monday, 12 April at 6am.
Tewksbury Growth Hub:
Details of the support provided by the Hub to local businesses as well as an insight into the economic context of the borough.
Communications:
•Next week’s changes to government restrictions will be promoted on our social media platforms. These messages will include an animated video detailing the restrictions that remain in place from Monday,12April.
Community:
•Shielding has now been paused. The Community Help Hub remains open, although very few requests for help are now coming through.
•Winter Grants –556 families/individuals have been assisted with food and fuel vouchers, hot food and essential supplies.
•The Emergency Community Covid Grants scheme for the Voluntary and Community Sector is still live. The scheme has widened itseligibility criteria to provide wider support.
•A time-limited Capital Community Grant scheme will go live next week. This will be aimed at not-for-profit organisations whose projects will have a beneficial impact across the community.
Business:
•All Covid-19 business grant schemes covering periods prior to 16 February have now closed.
•£2.4m (of the total £2.7m available) has been paid in Additional Restrictions Grants. The remaining £300,000will be used for a variety of business support opportunities,including a discretionary Restart Grant scheme which will run in similar fashion to the national scheme. We hope to launch this on 30 April.
•Applications for the Restart Grant scheme will go live later today on our website. This will be promoted on social media and emailed out to potentially eligible businesses. Due to the increased amount of information that the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) require from applicants to this scheme, all businesses must fill in a full application. BEIS have also asked us to make increased pre-payment checks so there will be a delay in making payments while this is carried out.
•Test and Trace support payments have continued to slow down due to the low Covid-19 ratesin Tewkesbury Borough
Friday 1st April 2021:
Key messages from GCC
As of 29 March, people in England can:
Meet outdoors with up to six people or two households/bubbles
Take part in organised outdoor sports
Use outdoor leisure facilities including tennis and basketball courts.
People who were shielding can now start following the guidelines in line with the rest of England.
On Monday 5 April, Government is expected to announce plans for further easing restrictions across England from 12 April.
Even though we are now allowed to socialise more, it’s still important to follow the rules around hands, face, space and fresh air as well as getting a regular rapid test if you have no symptoms, but have to leave the house for essential reasons, and taking up the offer of a vaccination when invited.
To help remind people of the vital steps they need to take to further reduce the rate of infection in our county and to protect each other, our Keep going…it will be worth it campaign continues. You can find and download our campaign assets from Flickr.
Community Collect is now live at all four rapid testing centres. Anyone who lives in a household with nursery, school or college aged children; is in a support or childcare bubble; or who works in a school setting can collect two boxes of 7 tests to carry out at home. There is no requirement to book. Regular testing is an important part of our journey out of lockdown.
Remembering the rules is especially important as we head into the Easter bank holiday weekend, and through into the school holidays, when more people will be keen to see friends and family – COVID-19 doesn’t take a break for Easter!
GP surgery teams are piloting an additional vaccination walk in service on Saturday 3 April (10 to 4pm) in two areas of the county – Gloucester and Cheltenham – for those people aged 50 and over who have yet to take up the offer of their 1st dose. Members of the public will be given the opportunity to talk with doctors and other health care professionals at the sites at Rosebank Surgery, Gloucester and St Paul’s Medical Centre, Cheltenham about vaccination and discuss any issues or concerns
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Cases
In week 13 (Monday 22nd March – Sunday 28th March) there were 104 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
23 were in Cheltenham
23 were in Stroud
21 were in Gloucester
21 were in Forest of Dean
8 were in Tewkesbury
8 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 17/03/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 17.6 in Gloucestershire, 28.2 in the South West, and 54.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 11 (Saturday 13th March – Friday 19th March) there were 5 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 5.7% of all deaths, this compares with 6 (6.2% of all deaths) in Week 10.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 27th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 611 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 406 (0 new)
Friday 26th March 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
• From 29 March, people will be able to meet outdoors in groups of six, or two households together. Outdoor leisure facilities like tennis and basketball courts will reopen and people will be able to take part in organised outdoor sports.
• Our “Keep going…It will be worth it” campaign continues as we start to look ahead to step two of the Government’s road map and remind people about the things we need to keep doing to get there.
• Regular testing, alongside staying at home, following the rules of hands, face, space, ventilate, self-isolating and getting a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms remain crucial to keep reducing the rate of infection and protect one another.
• Testing at the community testing sites in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cirencester and the Forest of Dean remains for people who do not have symptoms, but who still need to leave the house for essential reasons including for work or to care for others.
• Households, support and childcare bubbles of school staff or school aged children or children in pre-school or nursery can also test twice-weekly: o At a local community test site o By collecting a home test kit from one of the PCR testing sites: Hempsted Meadows, Stroud or Cheltenham walk-in between 1.30pm and 7pm; or o By ordering a home test kit online
• A link to book a test can be found on the new and improved community testing pages of the GCC website.
• Children in Gloucestershire who are entitled to receive Free School Meals will be supported with vouchers for the Easter holidays.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Cases
• In week 12 (Monday 15th March – Sunday 21st March) there were 122 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases: • 32 were in Stroud • 30 were in Cheltenham • 18 were in Gloucester • 18 were in Tewkesbury • 17 were in Forest of Dean • 7 were in Cotswold * Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 17.6 in Gloucestershire, 28.2 in the South West, and 54.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
• In week 10 (Saturday 6th March– Friday 12th March) there were 6 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 6.3% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (9.1% of all deaths) in Week 9.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 20th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 611 (2 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 406 (1 new)
Friday 19th March 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Covid hasn’t gone away and to help keep life moving, we all must play our part in keeping cases down.
Regular testing, alongside staying at home, following the rules of hands, face, space, ventilate, self-isolating and getting a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms remain crucial to keep reducing the rate of infection and protect one another.
A fourth asymptomatic testing site at the Link Youth Support Centre in Tewkesbury will open to the public on Wednesday 24 March. Testing at the site is for people who have no symptoms, but who still need to leave the house for essential reasons including for work or to care for others. A link to book a test can be found on the new and improved community testing pages of the GCC website.
Rapid, regular testing is now being offered the households, support and childcare bubbles of children in pre-school or nursery. This is in addition to households, support and childcare bubbles of school staff or school aged children.
In just 10 days, we will reach the next milestone in the Government’s road-map, working towards a more normal way of life. From 29 March, people will be able to meet outdoors in groups of six, or two households together. Whilst this is great news for us all, we must not give up now. We will be launching a campaign next week called: “Keep going…It will be worth it” recognising everything we are looking forward to in the weeks to come, whilst remembering what we have to do to get there.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Cases
In week 11 (Monday 8th March – Sunday 14th March) there were 133 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
38 were in Stroud
28 were in Gloucester
21 were in Cheltenham
17 were in Tewkesbury
16 were in Forest of Dean
13 were in Cotswold
*Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 22.0 in Gloucestershire, 31.0 in the South West, and 57.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 9 (Saturday 27th February– Friday 5th March) there were 9 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.5% of all deaths, this compares with 12 (9.6% of all deaths) in Week 8
* Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 13th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 609 (4 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 405 (1 new)
News from TBC:
The next Management Team meeting will take place on Friday, 9 April. Thereafter, these meetings – and their accompanying bulletins – will run fortnightly. Additional bulletins may be distributed on an ad-hoc basis as we move forward with recovery and changes to Covid restrictions continue. Situation report • In Gloucestershire cases stand at 140 which is down 51 from the previous week. The rate per 100k is at 22, down from 30 the previous week. The number of people who have lost their lives stands at 949 which is an increase of 5 in the last week. • In Tewkesbury Borough cases currently stand at 19 which is down 7 from the previous week. The rate per 100k is 20, down from 27.4 in the previous week. No people in the Borough have lost their lives in the last 7 days so the number remains the same at 137. • A further testing site will open on Wednesday, 24 March at Tewkesbury Youth Support Centre in Link Road. • Gloucestershire County Council has launched a new hub on its website to help people understand which Covid test they should get and when they should get tested. Service delivery Environmental health: • A timetable is being drafted of all actions that will require environmental health officers’ input for the roll out of government’s road map. • The team is still very busy with ‘business-as-usual’ activities as well as increasing enquiries as businesses prepare for re-opening. • There has been an increase in new food businesses and applications for street trading.
Revenues and benefits: • Top up payments from the council tax hardship fund continue to be made to the council tax accounts of working age residents receiving council tax reduction. Payments totalling £405,000 have now been allocated. Human resources: • The council has successfully offered two apprenticeships, with interviews for two more to be held shortly. • A six-week programme of online yoga for staff is starting on Tuesday, 23 March. This will be a live session but will be recorded and uploaded to the intranet so that people who are unable to attend the live session can still take part. This will support the wellbeing of staff. • The February Pulse Check has been analysed and feedback has been shared with Heads of Service. Approximately 60% of officers responded: overall, officers indicated that they continue to work well from home and feel well supported, and the percentage of people who said they ‘agree’ or ‘strongly agree’ was higher in all areas than in the November Pulse Check. However, there are some areas on which we need to focus attention to prevent problems. These primarily concern mental health and supporting teams under pressure. The HR & OD Manager has been working with management team to address these issues. Communications: • On Tuesday, 23 March, the first anniversary of the first UK lockdown, we will be encouraging residents from across the borough to join the whole country for a National Day of Reflection to acknowledge the millions of people who have been affected. As a mark of respect, we will lower the flag outside the council offices to half-mast and ask officers to take part in a minute’s silence at 12 noon. We will also raise awareness of the day with articles on our website and intranet, and posts on social media. Community • Shielding officially ends on Wednesday, 31 March but the Help Hub will need to remain open for the self-isolation practical support offer that councils need to provide. • Primary Care Networks continue to provide vaccinations for the under 50s. 49% of adults in Gloucestershire have received their first vaccination. Business • Over £1m in national lockdown grants has been paid covering the period 16 February – 31 March. These are being paid quickly as we are emailing those who received the 5 January – 15 February grant to ask recipients to confirm they are still eligible. • Guidance has now been received for Restart Grants and the team are currently working preparing these for launch. • £134,711 has been paid in Additional Restrictions Grants (ARG) so far in March. • BEIS have confirmed that we need to spend all our ARG money by 30 June 2021 to access the additional money available under this scheme. We have a new ARG scheme for the current lockdown which involves paying additional amounts to those who have already received a grant for the period 16 February – 31 March 2021. This should result in well over £1.5m being paid out to businesses affected by the lockdown. • Test and Trace support payments: these have slowed down considerably as our local Covid-19 rates drop. We have now received guidance from the Department of Health and Social Care about paying parents and guardians who are caring for a child or young person who is self-isolating. This may result in more claims since we can now issue payments wherever a school has instructed a child to self-isolate. In the last few days, some schools have sent home full year groups or bubble. However, as far as we are aware, there are no such cases in Tewkesbury Borough. We will also be reflecting this change in our local discretionary policy
Friday 12th March 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
Covid hasn’t gone away and to help keep life moving, we all must play our part in keeping cases down
Regular testing, alongside staying at home, following the rules of Hands, Face, Space, self-isolating and getting a test if you have COVID-19 symptoms, remain crucial to keep reducing the rate of infection and protect one another
Secondary aged pupils are being encourage to test regularly from home using kits provided to them
Members of a household, childcare bubble or support bubble of school staff or a pupil; or in an occupation associated with schools such as out of school clubs; or who have to visit schools for work can get a twice-weekly rapid test through their employer if they offer testing to employees;
at a local community test site;
by collecting a home test kit from one of the PCR testing sites: Hempsted Meadows, Stroud or Cheltenham walk-in between 1.30pm and 7pm;
or by ordering a home test kit online.
A third rapid, regular testing site for people with no symptoms opened in the Forest of Dean on Wednesday 10 March. The new community testing centre is located at Miners Welfare Hall on Parragate Road in Cinderford
We have developed a new hub of information around testing, visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/testing
GP leaders in the county are reassuring people aged 55 and over that they are expecting significant additional quantities of vaccine to arrive in Gloucestershire shortly and that residents will not need to travel outside of the county for their COVID-19 vaccination if they do not wish to
Residents do not need to call their GP as they will be contacted by their surgery
Letting fresh air in to indoor spaces by opening windows can help prevent the spread of Covid-19. There is new guidance on ventilating indoor spaces.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Cases
In week 10 (Monday 1st March – Sunday 8th March) there were 186 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
50 were in Stroud
34 were in Gloucester
29 were in Tewkesbury
29 were in Forest of Dean
28 were in Cheltenham
16 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 30.0 in Gloucestershire, 32.9 in the South West, and 59.7 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 8 (Saturday 20th February– Friday 26th February) there were 12 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 10.3% of all deaths, this compares with 17 (13.9% of all deaths) in Week 7
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 6th March, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate.
(Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 605 (3 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 404 (3 new)
News from TBC:
Situation report • Gloucestershire: Cases: 191 (a decrease of 9 in the last week). Rate: 33.1 per 100k (down from last week). People who have lost their lives: 944 (an increase of 3 in the last week). • Tewkesbury Borough: Cases: currently 26 (a decrease of 4 in the last week). Rate: 27.4 per 100k (up from 23.2 last week). People who have lost their lives: 137 (an increase of 1 in the last week). Service delivery Environmental health: • The team continues to deal with an increased number of enquiries relating to the government’s road map out of lockdown and the reopening of businesses. • There have been 26 enquiries from people wanting to run events during August and September. Unfortunately, official guidance on this will not be available until a series of pilot events have been completed in April and May. • Plans are currently being developed by the team to ensure restrictions will be adhered to by tourists who will be returning to the borough in the coming months. Revenues and benefits: • The team is currently very busy dealing with calls relating to council tax bills, after bills were mailed out to residents this week. • 40 new working-age council tax reduction applications were received this week. This increase may be due to residents having received their council tax bills earlier this month. Property and assets: • Tewkesbury and Bishops Cleeve cemeteries are currently extremely busy with an average of three to four burials per week. • The National Recovery Leisure Fund has allocated a further £11,000 for the reopening of Tewkesbury Leisure Centre. • The leisure centre will be reopening at midnight on 12 April and will be offering a month’s free membership to all NHS staff. Human resources: • A six-week programme of free yoga sessions will be available to council staff from 23 March, aiming to support officers’ mental and physical wellbeing. The sessions will be recorded and shared on the intranet, so anyone who is unable to attend the live session can take part at a time that suits them. Community • The number of people requesting help through the Gloucestershire Help Hub, such as the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV), remain low. • £26k of winter grants, which support vulnerable families with under-fives by providing food and fuel vouchers, have been allocated. (A total of £50k is available in the Winter Grant fund.) Business • National lockdown grants (covering 16 February to 31 March): £929,474 has been paid to 387 applicants. Officers in the business cell can pay these grants quickly as they are emailing businesses that received the ‘5 January to 15 February’ grant and are asking them to confirm they are still eligible. • Restart Grants – more information on these will follow when the team receives the national guidance. • Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) for March: 75 applications have been received. A new ARG scheme has been launched for March to cover the second half of the lockdown. The team has emailed businesses that received an ARG grant for February to ask whether they are still eligible. • Test and trace support payments: The council has received 277 test and trace applications. £68,500 has been paid to the 137 applicants who were eligible. 138 were not eligible and officers are awaiting more information for two others. These applications have slowed down considerably. However, we expect this number to increase when the scheme opens to parents who cannot work as a result of their children having to self-isolate
Friday 5th March 2021:
Key messages from GCC:
County schools get ready to welcome all pupils back into education safely from next week (Monday 8 March) as part Government’s road map to ease restrictions across England.
Secondary aged pupils will be encouraged to take a rapid test using LFDs at school before they return to face-to-face teaching, followed by another two tests at school, before continuing regular testing at home using kits provided to them. They will also be asked to wear face coverings in the classroom, as well as in other school spaces where social distancing is more difficult.
Households, childcare and support bubbles of primary and secondary-age pupils or staff with no symptoms can also get a Lateral Flow Devices (LFD) test kit to use at home. Test kits can be collected from the testing sites based at Hempsted Meadows in Gloucester and the walk-in testing facility in Cheltenham anytime between 1.30pm and 7pm, Monday-Sunday. You can check online if the location is open or busy before you go. You do not need to make an appointment.
A third asymptomatic (for people with no symptoms) testing site will open at the Miners Welfare Hill in Cinderford on 10 March and a fourth centre at the Link in Tewkesbury will open by the end of March. The testing centres will use Lateral Flow Devices (LFD) to detect COVID-19 when people are most infectious to prevent the spread.
Plans are underway to increase access to LFD testing through other sites across the county, including through the newly announced Community Collect model, to be announced in the coming weeks.
Anyone who lives or works in Gloucestershire and has to leave home for work or caring responsibilities can now book a regular LFD test at their nearest site.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Cases
In week 9 (Monday 22nd February – Sunday 28th February) there were 202 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
62 were in Stroud
43 were in Gloucester
32 were in Cheltenham
27 were in Forest of Dean
21 were in Cotswold
17 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 35.3 in Gloucestershire, 49.6 in the South West, and 90.6 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 7 (Saturday 13th February– Friday 19th February) there were 16 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 14.0% of all deaths, this compares with 23 (16.9% of all deaths) in Week 6
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 27th February, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 602 (8 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 401 (7 new)
Friday 26th February 2021:
Key messages:
On Monday 22 February, the Prime Minister announced Government’s plans to ease restrictions across England. Each step will be assessed against four tests before restrictions ease, starting with the return of schools on 8 March. There will be a five-week gap between each stage to allow Government to review the rates of infection.
A third rapid, regular testing site for people with no symptoms will open at the Miners Welfare Hill in Cinderford on 10 March. Anyone who lives or works in Gloucestershire and has to leave home for work or caring responsibilities can now book a regular Lateral Flow Device test at their nearest site. Plans are in place to roll out Lateral Flow Device testing through other sites across the county. Further details will be announced in the coming weeks.
A new walk-to PCR testing centre for people with symptoms is set to open at Stratford Park Leisure Centre in Stroud today (Thursday 25 February). People are able to book a slot in the same way they do for Hempsted Meadows and our mobile units via the national portal.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Cases in week 8 (Monday 15th February – Sunday 21st February) there were 293 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
68 were in Stroud
51 were in Tewkesbury
49 were in Forest of Dean
45 were in Gloucester
44 were in Cheltenham
36 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 24/02/2021)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 47.6 in Gloucestershire, 70.7 in the South West, and 117.3 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 6 (Saturday 6th February– Friday 12th February) there were 22 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 17.2% of all deaths, this compares with 28 (19.6% of all deaths) in Week 5
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 20th February, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 594 (15 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 394 (6 new
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur. The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see the planned locations below. Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
Latest locations and dates:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Friday 26 Feb
Saturday 27 Feb
Sunday 28 Feb
Monday 1 Mar
Tuesday 2 Mar
Wednesday 3 Mar
Thursday 4 Mar
Friday 5 Mar
Saturday 6 Mar
Sunday 7 Mar
Monday 8 Mar
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Tewkesbury
Lower Lode Depot, Lower Lode Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5TT
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
News from TBC: Situation report Gloucestershire: There are now 306 cases in the county. The rate per 100,000 currently stands at 48 and a total of 931 people have lost their lives. Tewkesbury Borough: There are now 50 cases in the borough. The rate per 100,000 currently stands at 52.6. A total of 135 people have lost their lives.
Service delivery – Environmental health: The team is looking at the visitor economy across the county. Many residents, businesses and event organisers are enquiring about running local events following the government’s promotion of the road map out of the current pandemic. The team is waiting for detailed guidance from the government, which will hopefully outline how events will be managed after 21 June. Environmental health: The council’s covid compliance officer is carrying out inspections and risk assessments for polling stations –63 in total –to ensure the forthcoming Gloucestershire County Council and Police and Crime Commissioner elections are as safe as they can be for voters. Property: Testing is taking place six days a week (not Tuesdays) at the Lower Lode Depot. Customer Services:2021/22 garden waste renewals continue to perform strongly. To date, 15,500 renewal requests have been sent by email. 2,500 letters are to be sent shortly. Income to date is £291,000.
Community – The Community Help Hub will be staffed internally until 12 April. It will then revert to the county council’s call call centre. 8,400 new Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) people in the county have been added to the CEV list this week. The community cell is supporting those people who need help.The Winter Grants scheme is now in operation, supporting vulnerable families with children under five years of age. Initial feedback is very positive.
Business support – National Lockdown Grants (since 5 Jan 2021): 506 applications have been received totalling £3,535,895. The team will be emailing all these successful businesses with a simple form asking whether they are still eligible (from 16 Feb 2021). If eligible, the team will then pay the next amount which is 44 days’ worth (it covers until 31 March 2021). Additional Restrictions Grant: 144 applications have been received. 36 have been paid, totalling £123,000. 26 have been refused which are mainly for not submitting the information required with the application (they can re-apply). These are more time consuming to assess due to the evidence needed of financial loss, among other things. Self isolation payments: 266 applications received, 133 paid a total of £66,500. 130 were not eligible. This scheme has been extended until 30 June 2021 and the government is changing the eligibility shortly to include those who have to look after a child who is self-isolating.
Friday 19th February 2021:
News from TBC:
Situation report Gloucestershire: Cases have decreased by 107 in the last week – there are now 490 cases in the county. The rate per 100,000 currently stands at 76.9 and a total of 920 people have lost their lives. Tewkesbury Borough: There are now 58 cases in the borough. The rate per 100,000 currently stands at 61.0 – this is the lowest in the county. A total of 133 people have lost their lives. Vaccinations: Take up across Gloucestershire is currently as follows: Residents aged 80+: 99.7% Residents aged 75-79: 100% Residents aged 70-74: 89.3% Clinically Extremely Vulnerable residents: 87.6% Vaccination rates in Gloucestershire are the highest in the country. Residents in cohorts 5 and 6 are currently receiving vaccinations. General The council’s operational manager cohort will be considering the look and feel of the council offices for when staff return to the site. This will be discussed at a forthcoming meeting and will take into account customers visiting the site. Service delivery Property and asset management: The mobile Covid-19 testing site at the Lower Lode Depot is operational on Thursday, Saturday and Sunday this week. Public Health will adjust the operation of the site to meet local demand, but it is likely that it will remain open for two or three days per week for the foreseeable future. Communications: The Gloucestershire County Council communications team will shortly be promoting on social media a map featuring all testing centre locations across Gloucestershire. We will support and share these posts when they are made available. Human resources: More information is becoming available about long Covid. Studies show it is most likely to affect the working population, impacting those who have had Covid but may not have suffered from severe symptoms. The most common symptoms of long Covid are brain fog, mood changes, insomnia and fatigue. Without management, symptoms tend to get worse. We will work to ensure managers and staff are aware of what to watch out for so we can manage cases appropriately should they occur within the council workforce. Addressing vaccine misinformation: A news post was published on the intranet to counter vaccine misinformation and encourage officers to take up the offer of a vaccination when invited to do so. This included video clips from Public Health England addressing common concerns about the Covid-19 vaccine. Customer services: Garden waste renewals for 2021/22 have commenced. Over 5,500 renewal reminders have already been sent. To date, just over 3,000 stickers have been purchased, generating income of nearly £150,000. A further 10,000 renewal reminders are scheduled to be sent out this evening. Based on last year’s figures, it is anticipated that 80% of the renewals will be done online. An additional £45,000 has been added to the income target. Community support Clinically extremely vulnerable: New criteria have been announced for those designated as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV). It is expected that between 500 and 700 new people in Tewkesbury Borough (5000 new people across Gloucestershire) will be added to this list. Gloucestershire County Council will write to all new CEVs explaining the support that is available to them. Shielding will continue until 31 March. Community Help Hub: The number of people requesting assistance through the Community Help Hub remains low compared to the first lockdown. Business support 400 additional council tax hardship fund awards – each of up to £75 – have been paid to working age residents receiving council tax reduction. A press release highlighting these additional awards was issued this week. National Lockdown Grants: 498 businesses have received grants totalling £3,462,385. These businesses have also all received tier-restrictions grants. We are still awaiting government guidance relating to payments following the six-week lockdown which ended on Monday 15 February. When we have the details, we will be able to pay businesses any further national lockdown grants automatically. Additional Restrictions Grants: 76 applications have been received, 17 businesses have been paid at a total of £56,000. Self-isolation payments: 243 applications received, 127 paid at a total of £63,500. Only nine applications were received this week as infection rates in the borough decrease.
Tuesday 16th February 2021:
Mobile Testing Unit locations – 15 – 22 Feb
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see the planned locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
Latest locations and dates:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Monday 15 Feb
Tuesday 16 Feb
Wednesday 17 Feb
Thursday 18 Feb
Friday 19 Feb
Saturday 20 Feb
Sunday 21 Feb
Monday 22 Feb
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Tewkesbury
Lower Lode Depot, Lower Lode Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5TT
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Friday 12th February 2021:
News from Tewkesbury Borough Council: Situation report; Gloucestershire: Cases have decreased by 300 –there are now 597 cases in the county. The rate per 100,000 is expected to be below 100 by next week. Tewkesbury Borough: The rate per 100,000 currently stands at 91.6 –a 31% drop from last week. This decline in cases demonstrates the effectiveness of the lockdown and indicates that people are following the guidance and taking the correct precautions.
Service delivery- Environmental health: Public Health England has approved a funding bid that will allow us to extend the employment contracts of our Covid Compliance Officers and Community Protection Officers until the end of 2022. Over the lockdown periods, the environmental health team has seen an increase in requests for litter-picking equipment by members of the public. This reflects a strong desire by residents to protect their local environment –a press release to celebrate this commitment will follow shortly. The vaccination rate in Gloucestershire is high –vaccination of the over 65s will commence next week. Housing and rough sleepers: Rough sleeper numbers across Gloucestershire have increased slightly to 20.There has also been an increase in people provided with accommodation throughout the recent cold weather period. We have maintained contact with the one rough sleeper in Tewkesbury Borough through our outreach team and an offer of accommodation remains open. The housing team has submitted a bid to MHCLG for the Protect Plus fund. They intend to use this funding to commission outreach support and provide bespoke accommodation options. Human resources: This week is National Apprenticeship Week and we have four new apprenticeship vacancies. These have been promoted at GlosCol and on job listings websites such as Indeed, and our communications team have been publicising them across our social media channels.Property and asset management: Public Health will use the Lower Lode depot as a part-time mobile Covid-19 testing site. This will be managed by Gloucestershire County Council. Tewkesbury Leisure Centre: The asset management team has secured £170k from the National Leisure Recovery Fund which will be used to support the reopening of the leisure centre in the new financial year.
Community support – Grants: All Gloucestershire districts will soon launch a Winter Grants scheme. This will support vulnerable families with children under five years of age that are experiencing financial hardship. The scheme will focus on providing fuel and food vouchers. Funding: The community team held an online funding seminar in partnership with Severn Trent Water’s funding scheme. 40 local Voluntary and Charity Sector (VCS) organisations attended the event which was well received. The seminar focused on how to submit a strong application for funding. A new toolkit has been developed to help local VCS organisations through the funding process. Many of these organisations are struggling financially as a result of Covid-19 impacting on their income. Community Help Hub: The number of people requesting assistance through the Community Help Hub remains low compared to the first lockdown.
Business support – A press release highlighting the new Additional Restrictions Grants was issued this week. A total of £3,186,363 has been paid in National Lockdown Grants. 461 businesses have received the grant. Additional Restrictions Grants -70 applications have been received so far. Self-isolation payments: 247 applications received -124 paid, 116 not eligible.
Thursday 11th February 2021:
Key messages
The county’s second COVID-19 community testing site will open in Cirencester on 17 February at the Royal Agricultural University (RAU). The facility will use Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs) to provide rapid, regular testing for people with no symptoms.
LFD testing continues to be offered mainly to those who, for work or caring responsibilities still have to leave the house. People who are clinically extremely vulnerable should continue to shield.
Visit www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/community-testing for more information or to book at test at the Cirencester site (booking open from Monday 15 February) or the Gloucestershire-based facility located at the Friendship Café in Gloucester. People are encouraged to visit the site nearest to where they work or live.
If you have symptoms relating to COVID-19: a high temperature, a new and continuous cough or loss or change in sense of taste and smell you should isolate immediately and book a test at Hempsted Meadows PCR testing facility, the new walk in site in Cheltenham or at one of the county’s mobile units, using the national testing portal.
If you are the main carer of an elderly or disabled person whose welfare is at risk if you fall ill, then you can access the COVID-19 vaccination today. People must register as a carer with your GP to access the vaccine.
• People are reminded that under lockdown rules they should stay at home and not mix with other households inside or outside. Exercise once a day is allowed with people from your household or support bubble, or one other person outside.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 6 (Monday 1st February– Sunday 7th February) there were 600 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
170 were in Gloucester
75 were in Tewkesbury
84 were in Cheltenham
124 were in Stroud
79 were in Forest of Dean
68 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 99.7 in Gloucestershire, 125.0 in the South West, and 192.8 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 4 (Saturday 23rd January– Friday 29th January) there were 39 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 24.4% of all deaths, this compares with 66 (36.7% of all deaths) in Week 3
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 6th February, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 570 (33 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 382 (6 new)
Friday 5th February 2021:
Key messages
Nearly 300,000 leaflets with information to support people during lockdown and beyond are being delivered to households from Monday 8 February. COVID-19 cases are starting to fall in the county, but we must keep doing all to stay safe. This means staying at home as much as we can. The Leaflet includes information about looking after your mental health and wellbeing, financial support, how to get practical support to help you to stay at home and more.
A walk in test centre for people with COVID-19 symptoms has opened in Cheltenham (using PCR tests). Tests are booked through the gov.uk site
Community Testing in Gloucester continues to be offered at the Friendship Café in the city mainly to those who, for work or caring responsibilities still have to leave the house.
Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group has created a hub of information around the COVID-19 vaccination.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 5 (Monday 25th January– Sunday 31st January) there were 882 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
260 were in Gloucester
162 were in Stroud
134 were in Cheltenham
124 were in Forest of Dean
111 were in Tewkesbury
91 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 137.5 in Gloucestershire, 177.7 in the South West, and 257.6 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 3 (Saturday 16th January– Friday 22nd January) there were 60 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 34.9% of all deaths, this compares with 65 (33.3% of all deaths) in Week 2
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 30th January, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 537 (13 new)
Deaths in care homes – 375 (12 new)
Wednesday 3rd February 2021:
Thousands more added to Emergency Community Fund
Tewkesbury Borough Council has invested a further £50,000 of extra funding to help community groups who are supporting vulnerable people through the coronavius pandemic.
The Covid-19 Emergency Community Fund launched in April 2020 to provide financial support to voluntary and community groups as they responded to exceptional challenges during the first lockdown. From April 2020 to December 2020, 105 grants – totalling £87,165 – have been distributed to 78 organisations across Tewkesbury Borough (with some receiving more than one grant).
Of the grants awarded last year, 56 funded IT equipment and other resources, 28 provided PPE and cleaning equipment, 17 supported ongoing service delivery costs, 15 covered volunteer expenses and nine helped with publicity costs (some grants supported more than one type of cost).
Now that Tewkesbury Borough Council has invested a further £50,000, it is once again urging community groups to apply. Groups that have already received funding can apply again if there is an exceptional need and the project meets the eligibility criteria.
The following activities are a priority for this grant programme:
Direct and immediate practical support for vulnerable groups
Initiatives to reduce isolation and vulnerability
Initiatives to support mental wellbeing
For more information on how to apply, go to the TBC website or contact Louise Gifford, Community Funding Officer, on 01684 272192 or at louise.gifford@tewkesbury.gov.uk.
Friday 29th January 2021:
Key messages
The walk to neighbourhood testing facility at the Friendship Café on Painswick Road, Gloucester is continuing to work well. People who work in Gloucester city, as well as those who live there, are now being invited to get tested.
Around 860 city residents have attended the testing facility since it opened at the Friendship Café just over two weeks ago. So far, nine people have tested positive for Covid using Lateral Flow Devices (LFDs). LFDs are used to identify Covid in people who have no symptoms.
Testing continues to be offered mainly to those who, for work or caring responsibilities still have to leave the house. People who are clinically extremely vulnerable should continue to shield.
For more information and to book a test visit gloucestershire.gov.uk and search community testing.
We are delighted to announce that Gloucestershire County Council has joined Nextdoor!
We will be posting news, information and updates on the wide variety of services we are responsible for including: our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and what you can do to stay safe; how to look after your mental health; planned and emergency works on our roads; important messages about Household Recycling Centres; and much more.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 4 (Monday 18th January– Sunday 24th January) there were 1193 confirmed cases of COVID19. Of these cases:
414 were in Gloucester
175 were in Tewkesbury
168 were in Cheltenham
155 were in Stroud
150 were in Forest of Dean
131 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:20 27/01/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 195.3 in Gloucestershire, 247.4 in the South West, and 369.4 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 2 (Saturday 9th January– Friday 15th January) there were 59 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 31.9% of all deaths, this compares with 45 (31.9% of all deaths) in Week 1.
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 23rd January, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 537 (32 new)
Deaths in care homes – 363 (13 new)
News from TBC: Situation report•In the South West, cases have decreased by 4,702to 13,942. The South West’s rate per 100,000 is 247.9.•Across Gloucestershire, cases are down by 321 to 1,248. The rate per 100,000 is 195.9. There have been an additional 67 people who have lost their lives this week, taking the total to 848.•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases are down by 33 to 179. The rate per 100,000 is 188.4. There has been a total of 123 people who have lost their lives in the borough.•The vaccination programme continues to be rolled out. Gloucestershire has administered a higher number of vaccinations than any other county in the country.•The number of inpatients in hospitals across Gloucestershire is reducing. Currently there are 183 inpatients testing positive. Hospitals remain busy with a high number of staff off with Covid-19 symptoms.
Service delivery•‘Help to beat Covid’ signs will be put up across the county to replace the ‘Cases are going up’ signs currently displayed. •Anti-lockdown posters were displayed in Bishops Cleeve this week, this was picked up by Gloucestershire Live. Environmental Health Officers and the Police will remove these when visiting the area.•We are currently offering support to 22 households from Tewkesbury Borough across our whole homelessness service who are in temporary accommodation. There are 14 rough sleepers across Gloucestershire –these are a core cohort for whom there are difficulties in finding solutions. Work is taking place to confirm they are registered with a GP to ensure they are included in the vaccination programme.•A household notification letter will be distributed to all households shortly advising who is registered to vote in that household and how to amend this if necessary, as well as providing details on how to register as an absent voter if required. •The environmental health team has conducted inspections of all open retailers across the borough and have found that the majority of business are Covid compliant. Any concerns are
being dealt with. •The examination of the Tewkesbury Borough Plan is due to take place next month and the planning policy team are busy in readiness for this. Further information on the examination will be given in the coming weeks.•Planning site visits will start to take place where they are absolutely necessary and will be conducted in line with the risk assessment. Officers must first consider whether the site visit can be completed using videos, photos or through a live stream.•Information has been received indicating that magistrates’ courts are starting to deal with council tax committal hearings. This means they could reopen from April for council tax and business rates liability order hearings.•Ubico were unable to carry out waste and recycling collections on Monday due to icy weather. Crews have been working hard to catch up with these collections. Any that have not been completed by the end of the day today will take place on Saturday.
Community•Holiday hunger proposals have been approved with each district being given £50k in funding to support this. The community team are working with CCP to administer and distribute the fund. •There is an indication that 1 in 8 people that have been diagnosed with Covid-19 will suffer longer term implications. The NHS has set up a website Your COVID Recovery | Supporting your recovery after COVID-19 to provide information to those recovering from Covid-19 which we will help publicise. The local NHS Trusts has set up clinics to support with long-Covid.
Business•A press release has been published this week giving details of the grants available to businesses. •Applications for Local Restrictions Support Grants (Open) and (Closed) for the period between 2 Dec 2020–4 Jan 2021 are still being received. If a business has received a Closed grant the team are automatically paying them a national lockdown grant for the six-week period starting 5 January 2021.•231 applications have been received for the national restrictions grant. Whilst processing these the team are also checking whether they are eligible for the Local Restrictions Support Grant. This does take a bit more time, but it means the applicant only has to fill in one application to receive all the grant funding they are entitled to.•238 national lockdown grants have been paid at a value of £1,629,045•A new Additional Restrictions Grant policy is being finalised for a discretionary grant covering the six-week lockdown period. This will be aimed at businesses not eligible for the mandatory grant but who have been affected financially due to the lockdown. It is hoped this will be approved next week and an application form rolled out shortly after.•Self-isolation payments: 207 applications, 99 paid, 100 not eligible, awaiting further information from the remainder.
Thursday 28th January 2021:
New lockdown grant for closed businesses:
A national lockdown grant is available for businesses that have been required to close as a result of the current coronavirus restrictions. Tewkesbury Borough Council is responsible for administering the Covid-19 national lockdown grant across the borough and is inviting applications from local business owners.
In order to be eligible for the grant, a business must have been required to close as a result of the national restrictions imposed by the government from Tuesday, 5 January. Business owners must also operate a business-rated property registered on the council’s business rates system and must no longer be serving customers from the premises.
The current national lockdown is expected to last a minimum of six weeks. Business owners who have successfully applied will receive an initial payment to help them through this six-week period – the amount payable is based on the rateable value of the premises. If, at the end of six weeks, the lockdown continues, businesses will receive further payments according to the government’s guidelines without needing to apply again.
The council is advising business owners to check its Covid-19 business grants webpage as, if they are eligible for the national lockdown grant, they may also be eligible for a Tier 4 restrictions grant.
The council has received a large number of applications for the tier-restriction support grants announced last month and is busy prioritising and processing these. The team processing the applications would like to reassure applicants that they will make payments as soon as they possibly can.
Wednesday 27th January 2021:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see the planned locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
Latest locations and dates:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Wednesday 27 Jan
Thursday 28 Jan
Friday 29 Jan
Saturday 30 Jan
Sunday 31 Jan
Monday 1 Feb
Tuesday 2 Feb
Wednesday 3 Feb
Thursday 4 Feb
Friday 5 Feb
Saturday 6 Feb
Sunday 7 Feb
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
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Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
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Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
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Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
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Friday 22nd January 2021:
Key messages
The testing facility at the Friendship Café on Painswick Road, Gloucester has been supporting surrounding neighbourhoods for more than a week and is getting positive feedback from those who have been tested at the centre. With the centre up and running and operating well, testing is now being offered to those right across Gloucester, who even during this national lockdown, are still having to leave home for work or caring responsibilities.
The testing being offered uses Lateral Flow Devices, which are designed for people not showing any symptoms (asymptomatic), and want to be tested on an ongoing basis to have greater confidence that they are not unknowingly infecting family members or work colleagues.
The site will be open 8am – 7pm Monday to Friday and 10am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Testing is by appointment only. For more information or to book a test visit the county council’s dedicated testing web page.
A new dedicated COVID-19 vaccination update page has been set up on our GCC website, including details on the roll out to social care staff.
Numbers published today, 21 January, by NHS show Gloucestershire has vaccinated more people than anywhere else! Amazing effort from our NHS friends. See full information on these statistics the NHS website.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
In week 3 (Monday 11th January– Sunday 17th January) there were 1474 confirmed cases of COVID19.
448 were in Gloucester
248 were in Forest of Dean
231 were in Cheltenham
199 were in Tewkesbury
185 were in Stroud
163 were in Cotswold
*Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 20/01/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 244.7 in Gloucestershire, 330.7 in the South West, and 478.0 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 1 (Saturday 2nd January– Friday 8th January) there were 44 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 32.8% of all deaths, this compares with 43 (31.2% of all deaths) in Week 53
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 16th January, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
*Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 505 (35 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 350 (18 new)
Please be aware that there was an inaccuracy with last week’s reporting; the correct number of deaths in care homes for week ending 8th January was 332.
From TBC :
Situation report• In the South West, cases have decreased by 3,300to 18,644. The South West’s rate per 100,000 is 331.•Across Gloucestershire, cases are down by 923to 1,569. The rate per 100,000 246.3. There have been an additional 52deaths this week, taking the total to 781.•In Tewkesbury Borough, cases are down by 91 to 212. The rate per 100,000 is 223.1. There have been an additional 16 deaths this week, taking the total to 113.•Whilst numbers of cases are decreasing, the number of residents being admitted to hospital is unfortunately increasing.• A vaccination subgroup has been created by the NHS to investigate why certain sections of the local community are not volunteering themselves for vaccination. •The Department of Work and Pensions is working with districts to set up youth hubs across the county to support young people with careers advice and guidance on start-up businesses.
Service delivery• A leaflet containing key contact details for services that support vulnerable residents has been produced by Gloucestershire County Council. This will be distributed to households across the county from Monday, 8February.•A press release to promote the latest national restrictions grants available to business that have been forced to close will be issued next week.• There has been a suggestion that the government is looking to roll the vaccination programme out to include certainkey workers across councils and public services, for example social workers. The council is waiting to hear whether this includes other front-facing staff such as environmental health officers etc.•We have an opportunity to bid for a £5,000 fund from MHCLG to provide support to rough sleepers who have very bespoke needs.• The Environmental Health team is conducting inspections of all open retailers across the borough. Approx 60% of these have been completed so far. •The Compliance working group is currently putting together a proposal for additional funding to extend the Covid Community Protection Officer programme.•A new Pulse Checksurvey will be distributed shortly to Tewkesbury Borough Council employees to assess how officers are doing mentally and physically, and to gain an understanding of how they are coping while working from home.•The council will be reinstating its apprentice scheme next week.•Gloucester County Council has been allocated £6.5m from the government’s containment management fund. Discussions are ongoing about how some of this money can be allocated among districts. •All polling stations have been booked for 6 May in readiness for elections. •We are currently offering support to 20 households from Tewkesbury Borough who are in temporary accommodation. We are also working with one rough sleeper in the borough. There are 13 rough sleepers across Gloucestershire –these are a core cohort for whom there are difficulties in finding solutions.•The 2021 Tewkesbury Medieval Festival has been cancelled due to Covid restrictions. •We are currently receiving an average of 27 new council tax reduction claims each week. Total case load stands at just over 3,000.•The Revenues and Benefits team are looking into options for allocating the balance of the council tax hardship fund. •Three members of the Ubico team were self-isolating last week but they have now recovered and are back at work.
Community•A new websitepromoting wellbeing across Gloucestershire has been launched. Be Well Gloucestershire is a new campaign aimed at encouraging residents to access support for their mental health through out2021. www.bewellglos.org.uk•Phone calls to the Community Help Hub continue to come in at a manageable rate. •Community groups continue to benefit from emergency community support grants.Further funding has been added to the grant programme. This will be publicised shortly.
Business•New National lockdown grants: 161 applications. We hope to start making payments for the national scheme next week.•The business cell is continuingto process Tier 2, 3 and 4 grant applications.•The government is potentially expanding the test and trace scheme–this would involve a £500 paymentfor anyone who has testedpositive.•Self-isolation payments: 190 applications, 94 paid, 90 not eligible, awaiting further information from the remainder.
Wednesday 30th December 2020:
News from TBC: From 00:01 on 31 December 2020 Gloucestershire will be moving up to Tier 4 of the Covid-19 restrictions. Management Team Plus met at 3.30pm this afternoon, chaired by the Chief Executive, to ensure that the council responds effectively to the new Tier 4 restrictions and has support in place for residents and businesses.
Service delivery-Advice to council officers has been reinforced. Staff must work from home if they are able to do so –this is in line with Tier 4 requirements. All non-essential retail and leisure, including Tewkesbury Leisure Centre, will need to close. Leisure centre staff will be furloughed until restrictions ease again. Accommodation and hospitality businesses will also need to close –there are limited exceptions for homelessness accommodation and housing officers are looking into accommodation that will remain open for this purpose. Environmental health officers will be working with police colleagues to monitor compliance of the new additional restrictions across the borough. The Business Hub will provide further targeted advice. The main areas of tewkesbury.gov.uk have already been updated to reflect the new Tier 4 restrictions and the support that is available to the public and businesses. The communications team is sharing the national messages on Tier 4 restrictions through the council’s social media channels. Risk assessments will be reviewed for planning site visits for both officers and members. There is no change to funeral restrictions and play areas will remain open. Personal care services will also close.
Community-Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue and Gloucestershire County Council will pick up requests for support from clinically extremely vulnerable residents, until 4 January. Our community cell is ready to take up the work following this date.
Business-Business grants –the business grants team is working on Tier 3 and Tier 4 grants to make the application process as smooth as possible.
Thursday 24th December 2020:
Key messages:
Gloucestershire to move to Tier 3 from Boxing Day: Gloucestershire will be subject to Government’s Tier 3 restrictions from 00:01 on Saturday 26 December. We have scheduled ‘reminder’ social media posts between now and Boxing Day, in the hope that it encourages people to follow the Tier 3 guidance when it comes in to effect.
Christmas Bubbles on 25th December: On Christmas Day only, you are able to form a Christmas bubble with people from no more than three households, should you wish to do so. To help keep yourself and others safe, you should keep your bubble small, maintain as much distance as possible and avoid staying overnight if you don’t have to. You should not join a Christmas bubble with anyone from a Tier 4 area.
‘Letters to Father Christmas’ videos from members of the community have continued to appear on our social media channels. We aim to raise awareness of things people have missed doing this year and that they want to get back to in 2021, in turn reminding them to follow the guidance.
Gloucestershire farmer and Cotswold Farm Park owner Adam Henson has produced to video message about staying safe this Christmas and into the New Year, which went out on Monday across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Do it for Gloucestershire: more video case studies will appear on social media in the New Year, featuring both businesses and the public, with the aim of encouraging people in Gloucestershire to stick to the guidelines, so we can get back to normal as quickly as possible.
“2020 is nearly over – but COVID isn’t.’’: look out for our striking red image on lampposts across Gloucester, as well as on social media, online, on the ad-van, supermarket screens and in newspapers.
Christmas message from the council leader: Cllr Mark Hawthorne has recorded a brief message to the county which will go out on social media on Christmas Eve. He mentions good work done by NHS and Social Care colleagues throughout 2020, and also those mentioned in our ‘This Is…’ campaign.
In the last 7 days there were 1,103 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
313 were in Gloucester
176 were in Stroud
160 were in Cheltenham
133 were in Tewkesbury
178 were in Forest of Dean
143 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change.
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 176.9 in Gloucestershire, 136.9 in the South West, and 318.9 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 50 (Saturday 5th December – Friday 11th December) there were 31 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 21.4% of all deaths, this compares with 28 (21.9% of all deaths) in Week 49
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 19th December, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 376 (24 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 298 (9 new)
Monday 21st December 2020:
New grants support businesses into the New Year
New support grants are now available for businesses in Tewkesbury Borough that have been financially impacted by Covid Tier 2 restrictions.
Tewkesbury Borough Council is responsible for administering and delivering the grants and will welcome applications from Monday, 21 December, with payments being made in the new year.
These grants are targeted at:
Businesses that were legally required to close when the borough went into Tier 2 on Wednesday, 2 December.
Businesses operating in – or directly supplying – the hospitality, bed and breakfast, hotel and leisure sectors that remain open but have been severely impacted due to local restrictions.
In addition, a Christmas grant in the form of a one-off payment of £1000 is available for ‘wet’ pubs – pubs whose income predominantly comes from the serving of alcohol rather than food orders – to offset their loss of much-needed business during what would usually be a very busy and profitable period. Pubs that operated as wet pubs before the pandemic, but now serve food in order to remain open, also qualify for this payment.
To make the application process easily accessible, the council has introduced one single form for all businesses to fill out, regardless of which grant applies to them.
Councillor Rob Bird, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “This has been an exceptionally challenging year for businesses throughout the borough and we are continuing to do everything possible to help them by offering extra financial assistance over the Christmas period.
“Hospitality businesses in particular will be severely affected by the Tier 2 regulations over the festive season, but we hope this additional funding will go some way to alleviate the financial impact of the local restrictions. We want to make sure they receive all the support they are entitled to and I urge any business owner in the borough who is eligible for one of these grants to apply.”
New Campaign Launched: “2020 is nearly over – but COVID isn’t.’’ We want everyone to be able to enjoy the Christmas that they deserve – whilst remembering that although 2020 might nearly be over, COVID isn’t. This campaign comes as a response to the rising number of infections in Gloucestershire and the lead up to Christmas. Please look out for our striking red image on social media and share where possible with your own contacts. We are advertising this message across the county in as many places as possible; online, with ad-vans, supermarket screens, lamp post leaflets and in newspapers.
Christmas Bubbles between the 23rd and 27th December: You can choose to form an exclusive ‘Christmas bubble’ with people from no more than three households. To help keep yourself and others your friends and family safe, you should keep your bubbles small, maintain as much distance as possible and avoid staying overnight if you don’t have to. Full information on Christmas Bubbles on the uk website.
Gloucestershire remains under Tier 2 restrictions: Gloucestershire is subject to Government’s Tier 2 restrictions until the 23 December and again after 28 December. We have scheduled ‘reminder’ social media posts between Christmas and New Year, in the hope that it encourages people to follow the Tier 2 guidance during the festive period outside of Christmas Bubbles.
‘Letters to Father Christmas’ videos from members of the community will appear on our social media channels in the lead up for Christmas, launching today 18 December at 4pm. We aim to raise awareness of things people have missed doing this year and that they want to get back to in 2021, in turn reminding them to follow the guidance. A ‘positive’ toned message.
Tier 2 and Christmas bubble myth busting quizzes will also run over the festive period on social media.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
In week 49 (Monday 30th November– Sunday 6th December) there were 886 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
279 were in Gloucester
184 were in the Forest of Dean
147 were in Stroud
106 were in Cheltenham
91 were in Tewkesbury
79 were in Cotswold
Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 18:04 16/12/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 139.7 in Gloucestershire, 98.5 in the South West, and 216.8 in England.
Deaths mentioning COVID19
In week 49 (Saturday 28th November – Friday 4th December) there were 27 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 23.5% of all deaths, this compares with 22 (20.2% of all deaths) in Week 48
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 12th December, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Please note the dates above, the ONS weeks run from Saturday- Friday and we are unable to change this.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 352 (22 new)
Deaths in care homes – 289 (5 new)
Thursday 17th December 2020:
From HMRC: Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – what you need to do now
The UK Government has reviewed the terms of the scheme, and announced that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) will remain at the current level of 80% of usual wages for the hours not worked, and will be extended until the end of April 2021.
Reminder of monthly deadlines
Thank you if you submitted your November furlough claim by the deadline of 14 December.
If you did not submit your claim by this date, we may still accept it if you have a reasonable excuse for not claiming by the deadline. Go to GOV.UK and search ’claim for wages’ for more support.
Please note that reasonable excuses do not apply to late claims for periods before November, which should have been submitted already.
What you need to do now
If you haven’t submitted your claim for November but still need to, check if you have a reasonable excuse by searching ‘claim for wages’ – if your reason means you can claim late, please do so as soon as you’re able to.
Check you have not made any errors on your November claims, by looking at the eligibility criteria and calculating how much you can claim – search ‘Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Submit any claims for December no later than 14 January.
Keep any records that support the amount of CJRS grants you claim, in case HMRC needs to check them.
You can now make December claims
You can now submit your claims for periods in December. These must be made by 14 January.
To help you plan ahead to meet the monthly deadlines, here’s a list of the key dates you need to know:
14 January 2021 – final date to submit claims for December 2020 by 11:59pm
15 February 2021 – final date to submit claims for January 2021 by 11:59pm
15 March 2021 – final date to submit claims for February 2021 by 11:59pm
14 April 2021 – final date to submit claims for March 2021 by 11:59pm
14 May 2021 – final date to submit claims for April 2021 by 11:59pm.
Frequently asked questions about CJRS
You can find everything you need to know about the CJRS on GOV.UK by searching ‘Job Retention Scheme’, but here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions.
What if I’ve claimed too much in error?
If you have claimed too much CJRS grant and have not already repaid it, you must notify us and repay the money by the latest of whichever date applies below:
90 days from receiving the CJRS money you’re not entitled to
90 days from the point circumstances changed so that you were no longer entitled to keep the CJRS grant.
If you do not do this, you may have to pay interest and a penalty as well as repaying the excess CJRS grant. For more information on interest search ‘Interest rates for late and early payments’ on GOV.UK.
You can repay as part of your next online claim without needing to call us. If you claimed too much but do not plan to submit further claims, you can let us know and make a repayment online through our card payment service or by bank transfer – go to ‘Pay Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants back’ on GOV.UK.
What if I haven’t claimed enough?
If you made a mistake in your claim that means you received too little money, you’ll need to amend it within 28 calendar days after the month the claim relates to – unless this falls on a weekend or bank holiday, in which case the deadline is the next weekday. The deadline to amend claims for November is Tuesday 29 December.
To find out how to amend your claim, search ‘Get help with the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Why have monthly deadlines been introduced?
Introducing a 14-day deadline ensures that we can more regularly and accurately see and react to the impact of coronavirus on businesses and individuals.
Our data suggests that most employers have made their claim within 14 days each month. You can go to GOV.UK and search ’claim for wages’ if you were unable to meet a deadline.
Can I use CJRS grants to pay for holiday leave?
If you have furloughed employees because of the effect of coronavirus on your business, you can claim under the CJRS for periods of paid leave they take while on furlough, including for bank holidays such as Christmas Day or Boxing Day.
If your employee is flexibly furloughed, you can count any time taken as holiday as furloughed hours rather than working hours. This means you can claim 80% of their usual wages for these hours. You should not place employees on furlough just because they are going to be on paid leave.
If a furloughed employee takes holiday, you should top up their pay to their normal rate in line with the Working Time Regulations. For more information search ‘check if you can claim for your employees’ wages’ on GOV.UK.
Can I include a Christmas bonus in my calculation for the grant?
You can claim for regular payments that you are contractually obliged to pay your employees, including compulsory commission, fees and overtime. However, you cannot claim for discretionary commission, non-contractual bonuses (including tips) and non-cash payments. For more information search ‘steps to take before calculating your claim’ on GOV.UK.
How do I calculate the grant amount for employees?
A CJRS calculator can work out most fixed or variable pay calculations – you can find our CJRS calculator on GOV.UK by searching ‘calculate how much you can claim’. However, the CJRS calculator cannot be used for some employees, including those who:
were variably paid, and have been on more than one period of furlough where any part of any of the periods of furlough was in the 2019/20 tax year
have variable pay, started employment before 6 April 2020 and were not on their employer’s payroll on or before 19 March 2020
started employment with their employer during a calendar period in the 2019-20 tax year which corresponds with part or all of the period being claimed for.
For a complete list of circumstances, search ‘calculate how much you can claim’ on GOV.UK.
If you cannot use the calculator, you will need to work out what you can claim manually using the calculation guidance or by seeking professional advice from an accountant or tax adviser. It’s your responsibility to check that the amount you are claiming for is correct.
Where can I get further support?
Thousands of people have joined and benefited from our live webinars which now offer more support on changes to CJRS, and how they affect you. To book online, or to view updated guidance, go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Our phone lines and webchat remain very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Access the National Cyber Security Centre’s new guide on how to stay secure online and protect yourself or your business against cyber crime by searching ‘Cyber Aware’ on GOV.UK.
Tuesday 8th December 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations – updated and extended from last weeks dates.
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur. The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below. Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Wednesday 9 Dec
Thursday 10 Dec
Friday 11 Dec
Saturday 12 Dec
Sunday 13 Dec
Monday 14 Dec
Tuesday 15 Dec
Wednesday 16 Dec
Thursday 17 Dec
Friday 18 Dec
Saturday 19 Dec
Sunday 20 Dec
Monday 21 Dec
Tuesday 22 Dec
Wednesday 23 Dec
Thursday 24 Dec
Friday Dec 25
Saturday Dec 26
Sunday 27 Dec
Monday 28 Dec
Tuesday 29 Dec
Wednesday 30 Dec
Thursday 31 Dec
Friday 1 Jan
Saturday 2 Jan
Sunday 3 Jan
Monday 4 Jan
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
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Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
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Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
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Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
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Friday 4th December 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire is now subject to the Government’s Tier 2 restrictions.
Gloucestershire County Council has announced which services will reopen or stay the same with the Tier 2 restrictions.
Last week, Government announced that there will be greater easing of restrictions over Christmas (between 23 and 27 December only) and you will be able to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ with up to three households.
This week Gloucestershire County Council has taken delivery of 6000 lateral Flow Devices (LFD) from the Department of Health and Social Care, as part of a pilot, located at the Royal Agricultural University, which began yesterday (3 December). Tests are being offered to all students and staff at the University and near by Cirencester College and Deer Park School. Students and teachers who sign up will be tested twice a week.In addition to the county council’s pilot, The University of Gloucestershire and Hartpury University are delivering schemes for their students and staff. The NHS is also rolling out regular testing to all their frontline staff in Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust and Gloucestershire Health and Care Trust.
In week 48 (Monday 23rd November– Sunday 29th November) there were 646 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
225 were in Gloucester
117 were in Cheltenham
105 were in Stroud
92 were in Tewkesbury
37 were in Cotswold
70 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 02/12/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 106.4 in Gloucestershire, 92.0 in the South West, and 153.9 in England.
In week 47 (Saturday 14th November – Friday 20th November) there were 26 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 19.7% of all deaths, this compares with 21 (16.8% of all deaths) in Week 46
*Please note these figures are based on all deaths registered by the 28th November, they are provisional and will be subject to change. They include deaths that make any mention of COVID-19 on the death certificate. (Source: Source: Weekly provisional figures on deaths occurring and registered in England and Wales by Local Authority)
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 306 (54 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 281 (2 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•Covid case numbers nationally are decreasing. In Gloucestershire, we have 679 cases, a reduction of 225 from last week. The rate across Gloucestershire is 106 per 100,000. In Tewkesbury Borough, we have 96 cases, a reduction of 40 since last week. The rate in Tewkesbury Borough is 101 per 100,000. The R rate across the South West region is between 0.9 and 1.1 –it is decreasing.•An update on the vaccine situation was given at the meeting of the Health Protection Board. The first available vaccine will be used within NHS settings due to the complex storage requirements. The second vaccine will be pushed out through the Primary Care networks (community hospitals and GPs etc) when it is available. •The local Test and Trace pilot in Gloucester City has gone well and is now being rolled out to Cheltenham postcodes. It will be rolled out county-wide from 14 December. •The number of people in temporary accommodation from Tewkesbury Borough has reduced.•Hand sanitisers are now available on the three main high streets in the borough –Tewkesbury, Winchcombe and Bishops Cleeve•Tewkesbury Leisure Centre has reopened this week–business as usual (with similar safety measures as those before the recent lockdown) and is experiencing good attendance. •Generally, compliance across Tewkesbury Borough is very good. Environmental health officers carried out some spot checks yesterday and found a minority of barbers/hair stylists not complying with face covering rules. Joint visits with the police, who can enforce the use of face coverings, will take place next week. •Following concerns within another districts around parents mingling during school runs, the environmental health team has also visited schools within the borough. Observations are positive with good compliance noted.•Stroud District Council has reported leaflets being delivered to a pocket of residents which spread anti-lockdown propaganda and mistruths about Covid. General feedback indicates that the public is thankfully not taking these leaflets seriously, but if members become aware of anything similar in their areas, please contact the council for advice.•Three press releases have been issued this week to highlight:
The great collaborative efforts of businesses, residents and the environmental health team in keeping infection rates down.The release also reinforced the message that safe shopping is essential as people return to their Christmas shopping post-lockdown. The free parking in town centres for the first three Saturdays in December.The reopening of Tewkesbury Leisure Centre. •There remains an increase in burials, around 5/6 per week rather than 1 which is typical under business as usual. The Property Team are working on a rota so they remain operational over the Christmas period. A new grave digging contract is also currently being procured.
Community•Now that we have left the lockdown period and entered the three-tiered system, as we are in Tier 2 there are no referrals for the community resilience team to support the clinically vulnerable –the team will continue to monitor the situation. •All CEVs have been written to by MCLG with the option to receive four months’ supply of vitamin D.•There are reduced numbers of referrals coming in through the Gloucestershire Help Hub. The community team are on standby and will adjust their response as it is needed. It has been reported that a lot of people helped through the hub are now in a position where they are getting the support they need. •From 24 December to 4 January, all Help Hub support requests will go through the GCC and food deliveries will be made through fire service.
Business•Tewkesbury Borough Council is, along with neighbouring districts, seeing lower than expected numbers regarding the take-up of business grants available. It is thought this is due to the confusion about the number of grants available, the eligibility criteria and the perceived small amount of funding available. Gloucestershire’s finance officers have fed this back to BEIS. The numbers are as follows:National Restrictions Grant –Received 408, Paid 313, Refused 42 Additional Restrictions Grant –Received 86, Paid 23, Refused 5 Self-isolation Payments –Received 75, Paid 39, Not eligible 33 •The additional restrictions grant scheme for businesses has now closed•A new business support scheme for businesses impacted by the new tier arrangements will be put in place in the coming weeks.•The repayment by supermarkets of business rates relief should result in an income of approximately £1m for the council, but this will go back to central government as it will offset the rate relief grant given by government. •Given the government’s announcement around increased opening hours for retailers, local businesses have been contacted. There is no current appetite for significant increase in hours other than normal requirements (eg late night Thursdays)
Tuesday 1st December 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Tuesday 1 Dec
Wednesday 2 Dec
Thursday 3 Dec
Friday 4 Dec
Saturday 5 Dec
Sunday 6 Dec
Monday 7 Dec
Tuesday 8 Dec
Wednesday 9 Dec
Thursday 10 Dec
Friday 11 Dec
Saturday 12 Dec
Sunday 13 Dec
Monday 14 Dec
Tuesday 15 Dec
Wednesday 16 Dec
Thursday 17 Dec
Friday 18 Dec
Saturday 19 Dec
Sunday 20 Dec
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Friday 27th November 2020:
Key messages
Government has confirmed Gloucestershire will be deemed ‘High’ risk and subject to Tier 2 restrictions from 3 December.
It is also possible for areas to move between tiers, so it’s very important that we continue to follow the guidance. This will depend on a number of factors, including number of cases, available capacity within the NHS and the level to which people are following the guidance, including getting testing and isolating, if they test positive.
Regular, good hand-washing, wearing a face covering and keeping two meters apart continues to be essential steps for everyone to follow.
GCC are running a new social media campaign until mid December called ‘Do It For Gloucestershire.’ They will be featuring both businesses and the public with the aim of encouraging people in Gloucestershire to stick to the guidelines, so we can get back to normal as quickly as possible. Please keep an eye out for the videos, which they will be posting out over the next couple of weeks, remember to like and share them with your friends and family. The first video went out on Tuesday across Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 47 (Monday 16th November– Sunday 22th November) there were 862 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
280 were in Gloucester
155 were in Stroud
141 were in Cheltenham
131 were in Tewkesbury
107 were in Forest of Dean
48 were in Cotswold
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 17:37 26/11/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 141.9 in Gloucestershire, 139.7 in the South West, and 209.1 in England. (15th-21st Nov 2020 inclusive)
In week 46 (Saturday 7th November – Friday 13th November) there were 20 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 16.8% of all deaths, this compares with 10 (10.2% of all deaths) in Week 45.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 189 (4 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 281 (2 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•Further Covid-safety advertising has been booked. This will comprise a series of digital radio and Spotify audio adverts to be broadcast over the next 12 weeks.•Signage, pavement stickers and hand sanitizer stations have started to be installed in Tewkesbury, Bishops Cleeve and Winchcombe. Due to wet weather, contractors have been unable to install some stickers. These will be installed as soon as possible. TBC are working in partnership with town and parish councils to keep the hand sanitizer stations topped up. •The environmental health team have seen an increase in the number of enquiries from businesses following the announcement they can reopen at the end of lockdown.No updated legislation has been received but officers are advising businesses based on the government guidance.•Due to the second lockdown, it was not possible to complete the final stage of canvassing. Therefore, residents have continued to be contacted by telephone. The updated electoral register is due to be published on 1 December. •Courts are now open to hear eviction proceedings, however legal processes can take several months. TBC will continue to work to prevent homelessness and work with households as early as possible however there may be an increase in the number of people requiring housing advice in the future and it is likely this will include families.•The leisure centre will be reopening following the end of lockdown. £100 million of grant funding is being made available by central government. TBC will be preparing an application for this in partnership with Places Leisure.
Community •A letter has been sent to all clinically extremely vulnerable residents across the county giving guidance on the tier 2 restrictions. This has been led by County and a further letter will be sent should Gloucestershire move to a different tier.•£1.5 million of funding will be available in Gloucestershire for winter funding.80% will be allocated to vulnerable families and 20% will be for other vulnerable residents. The grant funding can be used to help with food and utility bills.•£90,000 in community grants has been paid to 105 community groups. •69 self-isolation payment applications have been received:33 have been paid and 29 have been refused. •TBC are still receiving low numbers of phone calls from clinically extremely vulnerable residents. Follow-up calls are being under taken for those that have previously needed support.
Business•315 business grants have been received, 238 have been paidand 31 have been refused. A press release highlighting that grants are still available to businesses running a click-and-collect service has been sent out.•An Additional Restrictions Grant launched on Monday, 23 November. This is a discretionary grant that aims to cover the majority of businesses who do not qualify for other grants available. A press release was issued providing further details.To date 50 applications have been received.•A new discretionary grant will open following the end of lockdown and will focus on the businesses heavily affected by the new restrictions.
Wednesday 25th November 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Wednesday 25 Nov
Thursday 26 Nov
Friday 27 Nov
Saturday 28 Nov
Sunday 29 Nov
Monday 30 Nov
Tuesday 1 Dec
Wednesday 2 Dec
Thursday 3 Dec
Friday 4 Dec
Saturday 5 Dec
Sunday 6 Dec
Monday 7 Dec
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
X
X
X
X
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Click-and-collect businesses eligible for support grant
Businesses forced to close, but who are offering a ‘click-and-collect’ service, are eligible for a national restrictions support grant.
The national government website gives details about the types of businesses that are allowed to remain open and those that are required to close due to restrictions during the second lockdown.
In the main, businesses that sell or hire non-essential goods must close; they may, however, continue to do trade through delivery and through click-and-collect services, where items are pre-ordered and collected by the customers. Such businesses are still eligible for a national restrictions support grant because their main source of trade – whereby people make purchases by visiting the premises in person – has been forced to close.
Councillor Rob Bird, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “We are aware of the very real difficulties facing businesses this winter and are taking every step possible to make sure they receive the financial support they are entitled to. We want to draw their attention to the fact that if they are required to close physically, they are still eligible for this support grant even if they are trading though delivery or click-and-collect. Selling goods by these means does not affect their entitlement to this funding, and I urge them to apply now.”
Applications for a national restrictions support grant can be made here.
Monday 23rd November 2020:
More financial support for businesses affected by the current lockdown
Tewkesbury Borough Council has been given additional government funding to support more businesses severely impacted by the current lockdown period.
The Additional Restrictions Grant (ARG) is for businesses who have suffered a financial loss as a result of the national restrictions that came into force on Thursday, 5 November but have not been required to close.
Councils are able to determine which businesses to target and how much they can receive through this additional funding.
Tewkesbury Borough Council has determined its eligibility criteria for the grant, which includes:
businesses which supply the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors
businesses in the events sector or who supply the events sector
businesses who have been forced to close due to circumstances beyond their control
businesses who have been severely impacted by the national restrictions in place from Thursday, 5 November 2020 to Wednesday, 2 December 2020
Councillor Rob Bird, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council, said: “There will be many businesses throughout the borough who, although not themselves required to close, are adversely affected by the restrictions imposed during this second lockdown. This extra funding will enable us to provide financial support for these businesses and help them through a very difficult time, and I would ask anyone interested in obtaining funding to check the criteria to see if they are eligible.”
Further details on the grant’s eligibility criteria and the online application form can be found here.
Free support and advice on wider support schemes are also available through the Tewkesbury Growth Hub. For more information, please emailtewkesbury@thegrowthhub.biz.
Friday 20th November 2020:
Key messages
On Thursday, 5 November national restrictions came into force across England to help control the spread of Covid-19, to protect the NHS and to save lives.These include:
Stay at home
Work from home
Avoid travel unless essential
Remember: wash hands, cover face, make space
A full list of county council service changes is available on the Covid-19 section of the county council website.
With two weeks remaining until the national restrictions are set to end, we need to do all we can to prevent the number of Covid-19 cases in the county rising. We must all act now, the steps we all can take are simple, but could make a difference.
In week 46 (Monday 9th November– Sunday 15th November) there were 1031 confirmed cases of Covid-19:
245 were in Gloucester
207 were in Cheltenham
179 were in Stroud
147 were in Cotswold
147 were in Tewkesbury
106 were in Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:22 18/11/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 156.0 in Gloucestershire, 192.7 in the South West, and 270.3 in England.
In week 45 (Saturday 31st October – Friday 6th November) there were 8 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 8.4% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.3% of all deaths) in Week 44.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 252 (9 new)
Deaths in care homes – 279 (9 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•An article has been posted on our website to raise awareness of the expansion of the current town centre permit parking scheme. This will allow more residents access to affordable parking in car parks during the current lockdown.•There are currently 29 people in hotel accommodation,and 35 rough sleepers in Gloucestershire. However, there are no rough sleepers in Tewkesbury Borough. An additional 50 units of temporary accommodation have been agreed with P3, an accommodation-based support charity. These will be available to people from across the county. •A further leaflet detailing support and advice available during the pandemic is being drafted by Gloucestershire County Council in partnership with the district councils. This will be distributed to households across the county.•Mass testing(lateral flow testing)is due to be rolled out in the next few weeks. It is likely there will be 63,000 tests available each week. A plan is being developed by Gloucestershire County Council to accommodate this.•A local test and trace system is being investigated to help contact thosethe national system is unable to. This will be managed by Gloucestershire County Council, but additional support at a local level may be required if County is unsuccessful in contacting residents. The approach is currently being trialled in Gloucester City and islikelytobe rolled out county wide following this trial.•Further Covid-safety advertising is being explored. This could take the form of social media promotions, and digital radio and Spotify audio adverts.•Signage, pavement stickers and hand sanitizer stations will be installed in Tewkesbury, Bishops Cleeve and Winchcombe from next week. We’re working in partnership with town and parish councils to keep the hand sanitizer stations topped up.•The environmental health team have seen an increase in the number of complaints about businesses being open during lockdown. The government guidance is unclear and has prevented enforcement action from taking place. This is being addressed at a national level.
Community •As part of the Community Cell, Tewkesbury Borough Council has three area teams in operation, responding to those in need and matching them to the support they require i.e. food, social support•A total of 1207clinically extremely vulnerable people in Gloucestershire have signed up to national website so far, but only 375requireextra support.•As those residents requiring help is lower than expected (for now) the proposal across the county is to only operate the help hub on weekdays.•GPs are submitting plans for the vaccination roll out and may look to the volunteer sector for support.•The voluntary sector is being asked to provide support to combat rising rates of loneliness through befriending schemes.•£85,000 has been paid to 101 community groups. A further £5000 of grant funding has been allocated to help groups promote safety messages.•57 self-isolation payments have been received, 24 have been paid, and 21 have been refused.
Business•257 business grants have been received, and 150 have been paid. The number of applications is low –we would expect to be receiving 600 to 700 applications.A press release highlighting that grants are still available to businesses running a click-and-collect service will be sent out shortly, and the environmental health team are pointing out grants that are available to businesses as they conduct their inspections. •An Additional Restrictions Grantis due to launch on Monday, 23 November. This is a discretionary grant that aims to cover the majority of businesses who do not qualify for other grants available. A press release will be issued on Monday providing further details.•The majority of businesses in Tewkesbury are Covid-complaint and are adhering to the current lockdown rules. Feedback from our community protection officers is that Tewkesbury is outstanding in terms of compliance.
Friday 13th November 2020:
Key messages
On Thursday, 5 November national restrictions came into force across England to help control the spread of Covid-19, to protect the NHS and to save lives.These include:
Stay at home
Work from home
Avoid travel unless essential
Remember: wash hands, cover face, make space
A full list of county council service changes is available on the Covid-19 section of the county council website.
New national guidance on care home visiting was published last week (5 November) and local advice and guidance has been updated as a result and shared with all care homes, to help them plan for and manage visiting.
The Gloucestershire Help Hub was stepped back up on 7 November to take calls over the weekend. Calls have been low so far, with queries about NHS Test & Trace and the Test & Trace support payments being distributed by district councils.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 45 (Monday 2nd November– Sunday 8th November) there were 842 confirmed cases of Covid-19
Of these cases:
178 were in Gloucester
223 were in Stroud
118 were in Cotswold
142 were in Cheltenham
89 were in Tewkesbury
92 were in the Forest of Dean
*Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:13 11/11/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 126.0 in Gloucestershire, 164.1 in the South West, and 244.9 in England.
In week 44 (Saturday 24th – Friday 30th October) there were 3 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 2.4% of all deaths, this compares with 3 (2.7% of all deaths) in Week 42
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 243 (6 new)
Deaths in care homes – 270 (5 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery •As there are a number of new officers directly responsible for covid-related activity, here is a brief summary of their roles and responsibilities: Covid Compliance Officer One officer allocated to Tewkesbury Borough Council, working within the environmental health team. He has been appointed to improve our engagement with the community and businesses, and enable more joint working across Gloucestershire, whilst supporting the government’s Covid-19 recovery strategy. Covid Community Protection Officers (CPOs) Officers from Gloucester’s Community Protection scheme have extended their patch to cover Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Stroud, in a bid to help combat the spread of Covid. A further two CPOs will cover the combined Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Stroud areas to distribute face coverings and hand gel, offer tips on social distancing and work with retailers to help them be Covid secure. To put these ambassadorial style roles in place, Gloucester City, Cheltenham Borough, Stroud District, Tewkesbury Borough and Gloucestershire County Council have worked together, pooling their Covid funding from Government. Although the officers do not have an enforcement role, they can as a very last resort, issue yellow cards to people who seriously or repeatedly flout advice given to them, which could lead to a fine from police or their local council. Feedback from CPOs so far is that businesses in Tewkesbury Borough are generally compliant –this reflects the good working relationships EHOs have established and maintained with businesses since the first lockdown back in March. Publicity is being planned to raise awareness of the expansion of the current permit parking scheme to allow more residents access to affordable parking in town centre car parks during the current lockdown. Due to the work of the county-wide homelessness cell, there has been a drop in the numbers of rough sleepers across Gloucestershire since the beginning of the current lockdown. The first informal planning hearing was held online this week. Revenues and benefits –there have been 39 new applications for the council tax reduction scheme.
Community •All Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) residents have been written to by MHCLG in the last week. A follow-up letter from Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) was also sent to CEVs outlining support available.•However, many CEVs did not receive the national letter. Lots of CEVs received the county letter first, causing confusion and over 300 calls to the Gloucestershire Community Help Hub on Tuesday.
•The national CEV website also went down Fri night to Tues morning. This meant no data was coming through to local authorities during this period.•All councils are now receiving two daily data feeds from GCC –one for the Community Help Hub for anyone who requires assistance, and one for CEVs who require assistance.•As part of the Community Cell, Tewkesbury Borough Council has three area teams in operation, responding to those in need and matching them to support they require i.e. food, social support•A total of 764 CEVs in Glos have signed up to national website so far –the vast majority don’t need extra support.•Anyone who is recently added onto CEV list by medical professionals will be written to by GCC outlining the support available and who to contact.•As those residents requiring help is lower than expected (for now) the proposal across the county is to operate the help hub on weekdays.•GCC will be receiving funds for assisting CEVs, elements of this funding will be drawn down by the districts .•Here is a link to mental health services available in the county, for circulation: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/covid-19-information-and-advice/advice-on-covid-19/looking-after-your-wellbeing/wellbeing-support-for-all-gloucestershire-citizens
Business-Self Isolation payments Applications received –31o Paid –14o Refused –12-Business Grants Applications received –136o Paid -£39,350 (28 grants)-The Local Restrictions Support Grant opened on Monday and is welcoming applications from businesses mandated to close for the current lockdown period. An Additional Restrictions Grant is also on the way –this is a discretionary grant that aims to cover the majority of businesses who do not qualify for the Local Restrictions Support Grant. The policy is being finalised and approved this week, with the aim of opening applications week commencing 23 November.
Tuesday 10th November 2020:
News from HMRC:
Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) – You’ll be able to apply for CJRS online from tomorrow – Wednesday 11 November – for periods from 1 November. You will need to submit any claims for November by 14 December.
What’s new in the support available
CJRS has been extended to 31 March 2021 for all parts of the UK. From 1 November, the UK Government will pay 80% of employees’ usual wages for the hours not worked, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. This will be reviewed in January.
You and your employees do not need to have benefited from the scheme before to claim for periods from 1 November. Go to GOV.UK for the full eligibility criteria.
HMRC intends to publish details of employers who use the scheme for claim periods from December, and employees will be able to find out if their employer has claimed for them under the scheme.
There are now monthly deadlines for claims. Claims for periods starting on/after 1 November must be submitted within 14 calendar days after the month they relate to, unless this falls on a weekend in which case the deadline is the next weekday. For further details go to GOV.UK and search ‘Claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’.
The Job Retention Bonus will no longer be paid in February 2021 and an alternative retention incentive will be put in place at the appropriate time.
The launch of the Job Support Scheme has also been postponed.
What you need to do now
Submit any claims for periods up to 31 October on or before 30 November. Claims for periods up to 31 October will not be accepted after 30 November. Claims are subject to eligibility and the rules in force at the time. Search ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK for full eligibility criteria.
What you need to do for your claims – for periods from 1 November
Read the new guidance – go to GOV.UK and search ‘Extension to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ – to check if you and your employees are eligible.
Agree working hours with any employees you wish to furlough for November and agree any changes to their employment contract.
Work out how much you can claim for your employees using our CJRS calculator and examples. Search for ‘Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Submit any claims for periods from 1 November no later than 14 December.
You will need to keep any records that support the amount of CJRS grant you claim, in case HMRC needs to check them. You can view, print or download copies of your previously submitted claims by logging onto your CJRS service on GOV.UK.
Further support
Thousands of people have viewed, and benefited from, our live webinars which now offer more support on changes to CJRS, and how they affect you. To book online, or to view updated guidance, go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Our phone lines and webchat remain very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Access the National Cyber Security Centre’s new guide on how to stay secure online and protect yourself or your business against cyber crime by searching ‘Cyber Aware’ on GOV.UK.
Friday 6th November 2020:
Key messages
From Thursday 5 November, England has moved into a national lockdown with new restriction rules in place: stay at home, only leave home for food, medical reasons, exercise, education or work. Work from home if you can and avoid travel unless essential; schools and essential shops will remain open. Remember: wash hands, cover face, make space. GCC is actively encouraging staff to work from home if they can.
Gloucestershire prepares for national restrictions – this week Gloucestershire County Council have been assessing which of their services can continue and which will need to change. Unlike the previous restrictions in March fewer services will change due to different national guidance and the county council’s switch to providing services digitally.
The government has updated its guidance which outlines how Remembrance Sunday activities can take place in line with current Covid-19 restrictions and requirements in England.
GCC have been urgently looking at ways in which they can safely increase visiting in care homes, through increased infection prevention and control measures and a risk assessment process that can be tailored to an individual resident, visitor and setting. In light of the change to the national situation, they are reviewing the new associated guidance around care home visiting, to ensure anything they issue reflects the national position.
With Bonfire Night celebrations expected to take place this evening and into the weekend, GCC are reminding people that they should stay at home, and of the steps that they should take to stay safe when using fireworks and lighting bonfires in private gardens.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 44 (Monday 26th September– Sunday 1st November) there were 710 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
183 were in Gloucester
160 were in Stroud
122 were in Cotswold
106 were in Cheltenham
72 were in Tewkesbury
67 were in the Forest of Dean
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 04/11/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 112.4 in Gloucestershire, 145.6 in the South West, and 228.5 in England.
In week 43 (Saturday 17th – Friday 23rd October) there were 3 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 2.9% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.1% of all deaths) in Week 42
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 237 (1 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 265 (0 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•The environmental health team has received positive feedback about the initial visits of the Covid community officers to the borough’s towns. Communities were reassured to see the officers out and about.•The council will not be offering free parking for this lockdown, to assist those residents that are required to work from home or have been furloughed more permits will be made available at £20.83 for the month. •Tewkesbury Leisure Centre has closed as a result of the national lockdown.•Council tax reduction caseload: 43 applications have been received in the last week, this may stabilise as a result of the new national furlough scheme.•The targeted approach that has been introduced to help rough sleepers across the county has seen numbers reduce. A county-wide rough sleeper count/estimate took place last week, which identified one rough sleeper in the borough. We are currently working with the individual to source alternative accommodation. Hotel placements remain low as longer term accommodation is being sought.•Branding for the new Covid safety signage and stickers to be placed on the high streets in Bishops Cleeve, Winchcombe and Tewkesbury have been approved and will be installed towards the end of November. •Following the announcement of the national lockdown food inspections have been put on hold, officers will only undertake inspections in homes when there is an imminent risk to the resident. •Gloucestershire County Council is keeping all household recycling centres open with the current booking system remaining in place. All other tipping points, sites and services remain the same. All third-party recycling bank providers (textiles, lightbulbs etc) are operating as normal.
Community support•Two letters are being sent to Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEVs) residents. One from the government has been sent and outlines what they are allowed to do, as well as encouraging residents to sign up for support on a national database. A further one from the county council will be sent shortly, offering local advice and guidance.•The community cell has been re-formed and will be providing support through the Community Help Hub as before, as well as to CEVs who require support. They are signposting vulnerable people and making sure they have access to the help they need. The Community Cell was stood up over the weekend to provide support where required and arising from the data received through the Help Hub and from the national CEV database.•Self isolation grants –25 applications have been received, 10 paid, 10 refused (mostly because of a lack of a valid NHS identification code) five applications are outstanding. Issues with the Test and Trace app are causing some problems identifying valid claimants.•There will be no national food parcels during this lockdown period.However,through the national database CEV residents can register to become eligible for priority supermarket slots. Customer services are assisting those residents that need additional support signing up to this. •A press release has been issued giving details on the grants available to community groups.£84,000 has been distributed in community grants to 99 groups.
Business support•The Government has provided funding to councils in England so that grants worth up to £3,000 per month can be distributed to business premises forced to close due to the restrictions. A press releasehas been issued to let businesses know if they are eligible and how/when to apply. •There will also be a discretionary policy forthcoming over the next few weeks –this is currently being worked up. The scheme should be available mid-end of November. More information will be given when the details of this have been finalised. •A letter to businesses from Director at Public Health, Sarah Scott, regarding employee welfare will be placed on our website for businesses in our borough shortly.
Financial support for Tewkesbury Borough businesses
In response to a second national lockdown, the government has amended its Local Restrictions Support Grant to include businesses that have been mandated to close between 5 November and 2 December.Tewkesbury Borough Council is responsible for administering and delivering the grant and will welcome applications from Monday 9 November on a rolling 28-day basis for as long as national restrictions apply.Those eligible for grant funding include non-essential retail, leisure, personal care, sports facilities and hospitality businesses.
There are three thresholds that will apply to each application:
·Businesses with a rateable value of exactly £15,000 or under will receive a payment of £1,334 per 28-day qualifying restriction period.
·Businesses with a rateable value over £15,000 and less than £51,000 will receive a payment of £2,000 per 28-day qualifying restriction period.
·Businesses with a rateable value of exactly £51,000 or above will receive £3,000 per 28-day qualifying restriction period.
There will be a further grant fund which will provide support to some businesses that are not specifically targeted with this mandatory grant and have been impacted by the lockdown. Currently, the details are still being worked through, including eligibility criteria, but when an update is available, it will be published on tewkesbury.gov.uk
More funding available for community groups
Tewkesbury Borough Council is encouraging community groups who are supporting vulnerable people to apply for a Covid-19 emergency community grant.This funding programme is aimed at charitable organisations and voluntary and community groups with charitable aims. Groups can apply for a grant of up to £1,000 for work which directly relates to challenges emerging from the Covid-19 pandemic, providing they are working with communities in Tewkesbury Borough. As we enter a second lockdown, the following activities are currently a priority for this grant programme:
Direct and immediate practical support for vulnerable groups
Initiatives to reduce isolation and vulnerability
Initiatives to support mental wellbeing
Running costs for organisations will be supported, including staff costs, volunteer expenses and transport costs. Small capital costs are also eligible, providing the capital items are directly linked to supporting the above activities.The Covid-19 Emergency Community Fund launched in April to provide financial support to voluntary and community groups as they responded to exceptional challenges during the first Covid-19 lockdown. So far nearly 100 grants have been awarded to organisations supporting communities in Tewkesbury Borough, including charities, neighbourhood projects, parish councils, and voluntary groups. Community groups who received a grant during the first lockdown are entitled to apply for further funding.
Lead member for communities, Councillor Clare Softley, said: “The voluntary and community sector has played such a key role in supporting vulnerable people impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. We have seen just how effectively grassroots organisations can reach out to their local community, and we really want to encourage community groups to apply for an emergency grant so that they have the vital funds needed to continue this very important work.”
For more information on how to apply, go to our website or contact Louise Gifford, Community Funding Officer, on 01684 272192 or at louise.gifford@tewkesbury.gov.uk.
Tuesday 3rd November 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur. The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away. To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119. This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Monday 2 Nov
Tuesday 3 Nov
Wednesday 4 Nov
Thursday 5 Nov
Friday 6 Nov
Saturday 7 Nov
Sunday 8 Nov
Monday 9 Nov
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
x
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
x
x
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE
x
x
Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Monday 2nd November 2020:
New from HMRC: Latest changes that may impact you
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which was due to end on 31 October, will now be extended, with the UK government paying 80% of wages for the hours furloughed employees do not work, up to a cap of £2,500 for periods from 1 November.
You will need to pay all employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and pension contributions. You can choose to top up your furloughed employees’ wages beyond the 80% paid by the UK government for hours not worked, but you are not required to do so.
There will be no gap in support between the previously announced end date of CJRS and this extension.
For more information, go to GOV.UK and search ‘furlough scheme extended’.
How will it work?
You will have flexibility to ask your employees to work on a part-time basis and furlough them for the rest of their usual working hours or furlough them full-time. You will have to cover their wages for any hours they work as well as all employer National Insurance and employer pension contributions.
You will be able to claim either shortly before, during or after running your payroll. There will be a short period initially when the online claims service will be closed while we update the system, and you will be able to claim in arrears for that period.
Further details will be provided in the next few days. Please do not call us for more information in the meantime – we will let you know via email as soon as this is available.
How to check if your employees are eligible
You can claim for employees who were on your PAYE payroll on 30 October 2020. You must have made a PAYE Real Time Information (RTI) submission to HMRC between 20 March 2020 and 30 October 2020, notifying a payment of earnings for that employee.
If employees were on your payroll on 23 September 2020 (i.e. notified to HMRC on an RTI submission on or before 23 September) and were made redundant or stopped working for you afterwards, they can also qualify for the scheme if you re-employ them.
Neither you nor your employee needs to have previously used the CJRS. Further details on eligibility will be provided in the next few days.
What you need to do now
Check if your employees are eligible for the scheme, based on the information above.
Agree working hours with your employees, so they know if they are furloughed fully or part-time during November.
Keep the records that support the amount of CJRS grant you claim, in case HMRC need to check it. You can view, print or download copies of your previously submitted claims by logging onto your CJRS service on GOV.UK.
Job Support Scheme
The new Job Support Scheme, which was due to start on Sunday 1 November, has now been postponed.
Further support
Guidance and live webinars offering you more support on changes to CJRS, and how they impact you, are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Our phone lines and webchat remain very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Parents and carers who want to apply for a free school meal voucher can do so an online form or by calling 01452 328518 (during office hours). There are more that 30 people taking calls but if all lines are busy there is a voicemail where people can leave their name and number and someone will call them back. Vouchers are bring issued as quickly as possible, normally the next day. A voucher code, that can be used at local shops and the big supermarkets is sent direct to the parent or carers mobile.For each of the school holidays since the Covid pandemic started the council has offered holiday hunger support to all vulnerable young people. This half-term is no different. The same support package will be in place over the Christmas holidays with the addition of any further help that its possible to offer struggling families during the ongoing crisis.
Stay safe or stay home this Halloween – Covid-19 doesn’t mean Halloween is cancelled this year, but with cases continuing to creep(y) up in the county, residents are being urged to find fun, alternative ways to celebrate safely.
In week 43 (Monday 19 September– Sunday 25 October) there were 506 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Of these cases:
122 were in Gloucester
89 were in Cotswold
88 were in Stroud
80 were in Cheltenham
69 were in the Forest of Dean
58 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:43 21/10/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 75.8 in Gloucestershire, 126.7 in the South West, and 219.5 in England.
Of the deaths registered in Week 42, 1 mentioned “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.1% of all deaths, this compares with 2 (1.8% of all deaths) in Week 41.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 236 (4 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 265 (0 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•The targeted approach that has been introduced to help rough sleepers across the county has seen numbers reduce. There are currently no known rough sleepers in Tewkesbury Borough. A county-wide rough sleeper count is taking place next week. •The Covid Community Protection Officers scheme is being launched on Monday. It will see two officers covering Tewkesbury, Cheltenham and Stroud in a bid to combat the spread of Covid-19. •The Covid Compliance Officer has continued to carry out spot checks on businesses. During initial checks there were four businesses that were not displaying the QR code, the business owners have quickly rectified this, and all businesses are mostly compliant when checks are carried out. •Ubico have been more stringent with checks on recycling and have not emptied and stickered blue bins with incorrect items in. This has caused an increase in calls from residents to the Customer Services Team. This was necessary to reduce the amount of contaminated recycling being sent to and potentially rejected by the MRF.
Community support•There are concerns around crowds gathering for Halloween and bonfire night-rules on social distancing need to be adhered to. Some communities, particularly on social media, have suggested local alternatives to meeting up in groups (going on a ‘pumpkin spotting’ walk, for example).A press releasehas been written by Gloucestershire County Council giving alternative ideas. •The council’s community response cell has sent a survey to the borough’s voluntary community sector to ask about their current situation and how prepared they feel, should the area move up to the government’s Tier Two covid alert level. 18 responses have been received so far, and responses have been positive. The team will follow up with groups that have not responded. •The county council released information on the food voucher scheme they are running throughout the half term holiday. •£15,000 worth of grant funding remains for community groups. Work is now taking place to contact groups to distribute this money appropriately.•Additional signage promoting washing hands, face coverings and social distancing are being designed and will be installed in Tewkesbury, Winchcombe and Bishops Cleeve in the coming weeks. Hand sanitiser stations have also been procured and will be installed in each of the towns as soon as possible. Communication to members will follow at the appropriate time. •15 applications have been received for the £500 self-isolation grant. Five of these have been paid, the others have either been refused or are going through the approval process.
Business support•Work is taking place on other local restriction schemes for businesses that will be put in place should we move to the higher tiers.For example, government have announced a grant scheme for eligible businesses if an area is declared as Tier 2. More information will be given on these once this work is complete.
Tuesday 27th October 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur. The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away. To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Monday 26 Oct
Tuesday 27 Oct
Wednesday 28 Oct
Thursday 29 Oct
Friday 30 Oct
Saturday 31 Oct
Sunday 1 Nov
Monday 2 Nov
Tuesday 3 Nov
Wednesday 4 Nov
Thursday 5 Nov
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
x
x
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
x
x
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE
x
x
Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Friday 23rd October 2020:
Key messages
On Monday 19 October, we launched the six-step plan for Gloucestershire focusing on protecting our most vulnerable residents, increasing enforcement action and, a call to us all to work together, and for each other, by following the public health guidance.
The legal notice to prevent the Stow Fair from going ahead was served using the county council’s powers under Covid-19 regulations on Tuesday 20 October.
Covid-19 doesn’t mean Halloween is cancelled this year, but with cases continuing to creep up in the county, residents are been urged to find fun, alternative, ways to celebrate safely. This might include a pumpkin trail, transforming your home into a haunted house and more – as well as remembering the main public health advice around hands, face and space, and sticking to the rule of six. Messages around how to have a Covid-safe Halloween will go out from next week. Please share them if you follow our social media channels.
We announced the Extra £6.6m to help county’s care providers prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Household Recycling Centres will move to normal winter opening hours from 25 October (10am – 4pm) .
Two schools are taking part in a School Streets trial which will start on 2 November. It will improve air quality and create more space for social distancing at drop of and pick up times.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 42 (Monday 12 October – Sunday 18 October) there were 374 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these cases:
94 were in Gloucester
71 were in Cheltenham
63 were in Stroud
52 were in Cotswold
47 were in the Forest of Dean
47 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:43 21/10/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 58.5 in Gloucestershire, 82.7 in the South West, and 168.8 in England.
In week 41 (Saturday 3rd – Friday 9th October) there were 2 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 1.9% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (0.9% of all deaths) in Week 40
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 232 (1 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 265 (0 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•The county council has introduced a six-step plan across the county, as local action continues to slow the spread of Covid-19. The measures will support the Government’s new three-tier system, announced last week. •The council has received 11 claims for the £500 self isolation grant.•Applications for the council tax reduction scheme appear to be levelling off with a steady number of new applications each week.•The team responsible for business grants assurance is on standby to start paying business grants, should the area move up to any higher Covid-19 alert level.•The licensing team is developinglicensing applications online.•The environmental health team has been helping to advise, with partners, the organisers of the Maisemore Point to Point event on Sunday. There have been concerns about numbers and the event taking place.The organisers have worked with us to reduce numbers and to ensure the event is covid-secure. Both the Police and Environmental Health will be visiting during the event to ensure compliance and will take action if required on the day. •The council has been advised that it is to receive a fourth tranche of funding from central government –an additional £128,427, taking the funding total to £1,247,602. •A £100m scheme for public sector leisure centres, swimming pools and gyms has been announced at national level by the government –it is hoped this will help the council cover at least some of cost to the Council arising from the period of Leisure Centre closure over the lockdown period.•The numbers of rough sleepers across Gloucestershire has risen so there will be a targeted approach to helping those people. However, following work by the Council’s Housing Team, in Tewkesbury Borough, there are currently no known rough sleepers and the numbers of those in temporary accommodation is very low.
Community support•In Tewkesbury Borough, the number of cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 is relatively low in comparison with other areas. The number is higher in surrounding boroughs and districts and is increasing so we need to remain vigilant and continue to practice the key safety precautions. •There are concerns around crowds gathering for Halloween and bonfire night-rules on social distancing need to be adhered to. Some communities, particularly on social media, have suggested local alternatives to meeting up in groups (going on a ‘pumpkin spotting’ walk, for example).•As of 14 September, there are legal requirements relating to events which would apply to Remembrance Sunday events. However, the COVID 19 requirements, across all tiers, provide for a specific exception for Remembrance Sunday events for participants and spectators, provided appropriate precautions are undertaken by the event organiser. •The council’s community response cell has sent a survey to the borough’s voluntary community sector to ask about their current situation and how prepared they feel, should the area move up to the government’s Tier Two covid alert level.
Business support•The environmental health team has been spot-checking businesses over the last two weeks and has reported that the majority of businesses are welcoming and are found to be covid-compliant.
TBC recognise that there are lots of messages circulating and the media is inundated with different Covid-related stories from across the country – it can be hard to keep track of it all. As a simple reminder, we have pulled together the latest guidance from the government, which you can pass onto your local community and local organisations. There are three simple actions we must all do to keep protecting each other:
Wash hands – keep washing your hands regularly.
Cover face – wear a face covering in enclosed spaces.
Make space – stay at least two metres apart – or one metre with a face covering or other precautions.
As you will hopefully know, the government has introduced three tiers. For clarity on which each tier encompasses, this infographic is useful. We are currently in Medium.
Please remember to visit the following websites for the latest and trusted information:
To prepare for any change to the status quo in this area; we are asking local groups and community networks who helped in the last Covid 19 lockdown to complete a quick survey to confirm the very latest position and anything we need to consider to help with support. Here is the link: http://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/forms/voluntary-and-community-sector-survey
Alongside the TBC dedicated coronavirus website, you can get in touch with us over the phone. To speak to our customer services team, please phone 01684 295010.
From HMRC:
Job Support Scheme
The Job Support Scheme (JSS) will open on 1 November and run for six months, until 30 April 2021. The government has said it will review the terms of the scheme in January 2021. There are two variations to JSS – JSS Open and JSS Closed.
The UK government announced yesterday it will significantly increase the generosity and reach of its winter support schemes to ensure livelihoods and jobs across the UK continue to be protected in the difficult months to come, supporting jobs and helping to contain the virus.
In recognition of the challenging times ahead, the Chancellor said he would be increasing support through the existing Job Support and self-employed schemes.
JSS Open will provide support to businesses that are open where employees are working shorter hours due to reduced demand. Your employees will need to work at least 20% of their usual hours. You will continue to pay employees for the hours they work, and the UK government will pay a contribution of 61.67% of the usual pay for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £1,541.75 per month. You will pay 5% of the usual pay for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £125 per month, and can top this up further if you choose. This means employees should receive at least two thirds of their usual pay for hours not worked.
The caps are reduced according to the proportion of hours not worked. Further guidance on this will be available on GOV.UK shortly.
You will need to cover all employer National Insurance and pension contributions.
JSS Closed will provide support to businesses whose premises are legally required to close as a direct result of coronavirus restrictions set by one of the four governments of the UK. This includes premises restricted to delivery or collection-only services from their premises, and those restricted to providing food and/or drinks outdoors.
For JSS Closed, the UK government will fund two thirds of employees’ usual wages for time not worked, up to a maximum of £2,083.33 per month. You will not be required to contribute, but you can top up the government’s contribution if you choose to. You will still need to cover all employer National Insurance and pension contributions.
You’ll be able to make your first JSS claim in arrears from 8 December, for pay periods ending and paid in November. We’ll let you know more about how to make a claim by the end of this month.
Your employees will be able to check if you have made a Job Support Scheme claim on their behalf through their online Personal Tax Account. Employees can set up a Personal Tax Account on GOV.UK, by searching ‘Personal Tax Account: sign in or set up’.
Job Retention Bonus (JRB)
You’ll be able to claim a one-off payment of £1,000 for every eligible employee you furloughed and claimed for through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), kept continuously employed until at least 31 January 2021 and who meets the other eligibility criteria. You do not have to pay this money to your employee.
You will be able to claim the bonus between 15 February and 31 March. To do this you must have submitted PAYE information for the period up to 5 February 2021 on time.
Further information on eligibility and when you can claim can be found on GOV.UK by searching ‘Job Retention Bonus Guidance’ and further guidance on the claim process will be published by the end of January 2021.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – closes on 31 October
Please note that this scheme closes on 31 October and you will need to make any final claims on or before 30 November. You will not be able to submit or add to any claims after 30 November.
From 1 October, the UK government has paid employers 60% of usual wages up to a cap of £1,875 per month for the hours furloughed employees do not work.
You continue to pay your furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. You need to fund the difference between this and the CJRS grant yourself.
The caps are proportional to the hours not worked. For example, if your employee is furloughed for half their usual hours in October, you are entitled to claim 60% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to £937.50 (half of £1,875 cap). You must still pay your employee at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they don’t work, so for someone only working half their usual hours you’d need to pay them up to £1,250 (half of £2,500 cap), funding the remaining portion yourself. For help with calculations, search ‘Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
You’ll also continue to pay employer National Insurance and pension contributions from your own funds.
You must keep the records that support the amount of CJRS grant you have claimed in case HMRC needs to check it. You can now view, print or download copies of your previously submitted claims by logging onto your CJRS service on GOV.UK.
Claimed too much in error?
It’s important that you check each claim is accurate before submitting it, and we would also recommend checking previous claims and repaying any amount over-claimed, so you will not have to pay interest and penalties if we subsequently discover you have claimed too much.
If you have claimed too much CJRS grant and have not already repaid it, you must notify us and repay the money by the latest of whichever date applies below:
90 days from receiving the CJRS money you’re not entitled to
90 days from the point circumstances changed so that you were no longer entitled to keep the CJRS grant.
If you do not do this, you may have to pay interest and a penalty as well as repaying the excess CJRS grant. For more information on interest search ‘Interest rates for late and early payments’ on GOV.UK.
How to let us know if you have claimed too much
You can let us know as part of your next online claim without needing to call us. If you claimed too much but do not plan to submit further claims, you can let us know and make a repayment online through our card payment service or by bank transfer – go to ‘Pay Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme grants back’ on GOV.UK.
Further support
Guidance and live webinars offering you more support on changes to CJRS, JSS and JRB, and how they impact you, are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Our phone lines and webchat remain very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Tuesday 20th October 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur. The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Monday 19 Oct
Tuesday 20 Oct
Wednesday 21 Oct
Thursday 22 Oct
Friday 23 Oct
Saturday 24 Oct
Sunday 25 Oct
Monday 26 Oct
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
x
x
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE
x
x
Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Friday 16th October 2020:
News from TBC:
Service delivery•The council has, so far, received 11 applications for the £500 support payment for those who have been told to self isolate through the NHS Track and Trace system –the scheme was launched on Monday.•The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) is focusing on the key issues surrounding Government measures to protect the public during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. During this challenging period, it is working with businesses to understand where regulatory requirements are preventing them delivering the products the public and NHS need. The OPSS has made enquiries with the council’s environmental health team as it is interested in the joint approach it is taking with the business Growth Hub. •The government has announced further funding for local government, however it will be a few more weeks before we know what the allocation for Tewkesbury Borough Council will be.•The benefits team has received a further 23 applications for council tax reduction this week.•The county homelessness and rough sleeper cell has bid to MHCLG to fund training that will help homeless people into work.•There are currently no rough sleepers in Tewkesbury Borough.•Environmental Health officers will be visiting local hospitality businesses to ensure they are displaying a QR code for customers to scan.
Communitysupport•The Gloucestershire Help Hub is on standby in the event the local area moves up to a higher alert level.•A survey will be conducted with community groups to understand what their key issues in the current climate –the results will inform the support we can deliver as a council. •The community development team has granted £83,000 of funding from the £100,000 total. The criteria for community grants has now been adapted to ensure second or third applications are only granted in exceptional circumstances.•The community cell has been stepped up to look into food provision for those shielding and self-isolating over the coming weeks/months.•The county council has some great advice on mental health and wellbeing across the county.
Business support•A ‘mental wellbeing and stress reduction’ website for businesses to use to help support employees is now live –it is hosted on the Healthy Workplaces Gloucestershire website.•Work is taking place to help promote the ‘shop local’ message and instill confidence in shoppers. Work is ongoing protecting public health on the high streets
Key messages
The Government has introduced local Covid-19 alert levels which set out information for local authorities, residents and workers about what to do and how to manage the outbreak in their area.
Gloucestershire has a Local Covid-19 Alert Level of Medium. Information on what you can and cannot do if you live, work or travel in a medium Covid-19 alert area is available here.
With Covid cases rising across the county, and faster in Cheltenham and Gloucester, Director of Public Health, Sarah Scott, wrote to care homes and other residential care settings, including supported living, to outline new guidance around visiting. This includes: virtual visits where possible or one, consistent family or friend member in person; visits in areas/rooms where ventilation can be maximised and no visitors from areas of high Covid cases. Fore more information, visit: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/covid-19-information-and-advice/visiting-guidance-for-residential-care/
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 41 (Monday 5 October– Sunday 11 October) there were 378 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
88 were in Gloucester
81 were in Cotswold
76 were in Cheltenham
49 were in Stroud
47 were in the Forest of Dean
37 were in Tewkesbury
* Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:00 14/10/2020).
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 52.4 in Gloucestershire, 64.2 in the South West, and 140.7 in England.
In week 40 (Saturday 25th – Friday 2nd October) there was 1 death mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.1% of all deaths) in Week 38.
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 231 (1 new)
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 265 (1 new)
Friday 9th October 2020:
Key messages
We have seen a rise in cases across Gloucestershire and are now stepping up our response to include targeting messages to areas where cases are higher, and looking to further support our communities to self-isolate and prevent onward spread.
The Covid-19 Engagement Board met and discussed the new funding for Local Authorities to support compliance with guidance
New face covering posters have been distributed to Stagecoach for display on their buses
You can view our ‘Jess’ case study on Twitter @GlosCC, Facebook @GloucestershireCountyCouncil and Instagram @GloucestershireCC and on our YouTube channel – a mum-of-three who is still suffering the affects of Covid-19 six months on.
We continue to share messages around the new Government guidance, as of 22 September, including for the hospitality industry and more – as well as national messages to promote the NHS Covid-19 App
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
In week 40 (Monday 28 September– Sunday 4 October) there were 238 confirmed cases of COVID19.
Of these 238 cases:
60 were in Gloucester
54 were in Cheltenham
34were in Tewkesbury
31 were in Stroud
30 were in Cotswold
29 were in the Forest of Dean
*Please note these figures are provisional and subject to change. (Source: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ as at 16:15 07/10/2020)
The rate of cases in the last 7 days per 100,000 is 34.4 in Gloucestershire, 42.0 in the South West, and 127.0 in England.
There was 0 deaths mentioning “novel coronavirus (COVID-19)”, which is 0.0% of all deaths, this compares with 1 (1.1% of all deaths) in Week 38.
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 230 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes – 264 (0 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•Officers from the council’s housing team are continuing to work with colleagues as part of the county Covid-19 Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Cell. The work across Gloucestershire has been recognised by MHCLG. Currently there are no known rough sleepers in Tewkesbury Borough, but the situation is being monitored closely.•Work is taking place to finalise the process for the Test and Trace Support Payments. The scheme will be operational from Monday, 12 October with claims able to be backdated to 28 September. An online application form is available and customer services will take applications from those who do not have online access. A press release will be issued on Monday.•Today a small pirate ship ride was located on East Street in Tewkesbury to keep the 1610 Royal Charter for the Mop Fair open. The ride was not open to the public. This story has also been picked up by BBC online.•The number of council tax reduction applications continues to increase with around 1200 received since the start of the pandemic.•A fixed penalty notice was issued to a business in Tewkesbury that was not complying with the regulations around displaying the NHS test and trace QR code and the use of face masks.
Community support•The county council has some great advice on mental health and wellbeing across the county. •The Covid-19 smartphone app is available,and all staff and members are encouraged to use it.
Business support and Growth Hub activity•The final payments for the Small Business and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure grant scheme were paid this week. In total £17,065,000 was paid in grants to 1465 businesses. The business grants team are now making headway on the grant’s assurance process. •Officers are now starting to interpret early guidance on a Local Restriction Support Grant. This is a grant for businesses that are impacted as a result of a local lockdown
Flu vaccination: The NHS and PHE are calling this year’s campaign “the most vital ever” due to the potential impact of flu and Covid-19 circulating at the same time. So it’s important that we do all we can to protect ourselves, our families and the people around us from getting flu. Have a look for your nearest participating pharmacy here.
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Total Confirmed Cases – 2,316 (117 new)
Cheltenham -549 510 (13 new)
Cotswold – 251 (6 new)
Forest of Dean -204 193 (11 new)
Gloucester – 653 (28 new)
Stroud – 347 (21 new)
Tewkesbury – 312 (12 new)
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 230 (0 new)
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 18 September but were registered up to 26 September – 586 (1 new)
Deaths in care homes – 264 (1 new)
News from TBC:
Service delivery•The Gloucestershire Health Protection Board has been working with Stagecoach bus services to encourage and support the use of face coverings by people using their services. •Officers fromthe council’s housing team are continuing to work with colleagues as part of the county Covid-19 Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Cell. Numbers of people in emergency temporary accommodation have continued to fall as housing solutions are found for them. The number of rough sleepers in the county has increased to 48 and options are being identified for accommodation as we move into the winter months. Currently there are no known rough sleepers in Tewkesbury Borough, but the situation is being monitored closely. There are two people from the borough remaining in the emergency accommodation who are in the process of being found housing solutions at this time.•Work is taking place to finalise the process for the Test and Trace Support Payments. The scheme must be operational by Monday, 12 October with claims able to be backdated to 28 September. An online application form is being finalised,as well as a process for telephone applications. Any eligible applications received must be paid within three days of receipt of the application. •The environmental health team has seen a huge increase in enquiries since the recent changes announced by Government, especially from the hospitality sector around offering table service only. The Covid Compliance Officer has been researching the guidance and offering advice directly to businesses. •On Friday, 9 October a small Ferris wheel will be located in East Street in Tewkesbury to keep the 1610 Royal Charter for the Mop Fair open. The ride will not be open to the public-a press release around this will be sent next week. •£210,000 has been paid to 1,868 council tax accounts from the council tax hardship fund. •Magistrates’ courts are starting to open, there is a possibility that council tax and business rates liability order hearings will take place in a nightingale court in Cirencester.•StroudDistrict Council joined One Legal, the innovative legal partnership between Cheltenham, Tewkesbury and Gloucester City councils, on 1 October. This will help create further resilience within the partnership.
Community support•Applications continue to be received from community groups for the emergency grant. To date over £67,000 has been awarded in 75 grants and a further 14 grant applications are pending a decision.•A new mental health and wellbeing fund has been launched by the County Council;the community team are looking at ways this can be used to support our communities.
Business support and Growth Hub activity•The business grants team have made all payments for the original business grants scheme and are making headway on the grant’sassurance process. •Consultants have been appointed as part of the Reopening the High Streets Safely Fund to undertake business and public facing publicity of our high streets across the borough.•The SME Recovery Grant Scheme and Visitor Economy Recovery Grant Scheme, administered through the Growth Hub Network, opened to applications on Monday, 28 September. The schemes were oversubscribed and closed the same morning-applications are now being assessed.
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Friday 2 Oct
Saturday 3 Oct
Sunday 4 Oct
Monday 5 Oct
Tuesday 6 Oct
Wednesday 7 Oct
Thursday 8 Oct
Friday 9 Oct
Saturday 10 Oct
Sunday 11 Oct
Monday 12 Oct
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
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x
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x
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
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x
x
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE
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Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Friday 25th September 2020:
News from TBC:
Service delivery – All districts now have Covid Prevention Officers in post who will work through prevention plans and determine how this work will be carried out. •The Government has recently announced a self-isolation grant scheme, supported by a £500 payment for those on lower incomes who cannot work from home and have lost income as a result. Officers are working through the guidance on the scheme and how it can be applied. Government expect local authorities to have the scheme in place by 12 October. More information will be given when the logistics of the scheme has been established. •The customer services team continue to provide support to both the planning and licensing teams by taking phone calls. •The elections team report that the annual canvass is now moving towards stage 3 which involves telephoning those who have not responded to the reminders sent. •The environmental health team has seen a huge increase in enquiries since the recent changes announced by Government especially from the hospitality sector around offering table service only. This has seen an additional 10-20 calls being received a day. •Additional resources have been approved by management team to support the environmental health team with the backlog of food inspections. •Officers are exploring options for the examination of the Tewkesbury Borough Plan. It looks likely this will be done virtually, more information will be given when the approach is finalised. •The number of council tax reduction applications are starting to increase again,an additional 32 applications have been received this week. •The internal audit team will be re-established with effect from 1 October, albeit with a reduced resource. One member of the team remains deployed in the business grants team and will oversee the grant assurance framework.
Community support – A press release was issued this week encouraging community groups to apply for funding that will enable them to support their community response to the pandemic. Groups can apply here. Since the press release was sent a further 12 applications for community grants have been received.
Business support and Growth Hub activity – Businesses across England and Wales like pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas are being urged to ensure they have NHS QR code posters visible on entry so customers who have downloaded the new NHS COVID-19 appcan use their smartphones to easily check-in.
News from HMRC:
Additional government support has been announced this week for businesses and employees impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) across the UK.
This includes a new Job Support Scheme to protect the jobs of millions of people returning to work, extending the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme, extending the VAT cut (from 20% to 5%) for the hospitality and tourism sectors, and help for businesses in repaying government-backed loans.
Further information on these new schemes is available in this email and on GOV.UK, by searching ‘Winter Economy Plan 2020’.
Our phone lines and webchat are very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Job Support Scheme
A new Job Support Scheme will be introduced from 1 November to protect jobs where businesses are facing lower demand over the winter months due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Under the scheme, which will run for six months, the government will contribute towards the wages of employees who are working fewer than normal hours due to decreased demand.
You will continue to pay the wages for the hours your staff work. For the hours not worked, you and the government will each pay one third of their usual wages (capped at £697.92 per month). You will need to meet your share of the pay for unworked hours and all your National Insurance contributions and statutory pension contributions, from your own funds. This means that employees will receive at least two thirds of their usual wages for the hours not worked.
To be eligible, employees must:
be registered on your PAYE payroll on or before 23 September 2020. This means a Real Time Information (RTI) submission notifying payment in respect of that employee must have been made to HMRC on or before 23 September 2020
work at least 33% of their usual hours. The government will consider whether to increase this minimum hours threshold after the first three months of the scheme.
Further eligibility criteria is available on GOV.UK by searching ‘Job Support Scheme factsheet’.
The Job Support Scheme will be open to employers across the UK even if you have not previously applied under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) which closes on 31 October.
The Job Support Scheme will start from 1 November and you will be able to claim in December. Grants will be paid on a monthly basis.
The scheme will operate in addition to the Job Retention Bonus. You and your employees can benefit from both schemes in order to help protect viable jobs.
For information on what is covered by the grant, which employers and employees are eligible, and how to claim, search ‘Job Support Scheme factsheet’ on GOV.UK.
Extension to the reduced rate of VAT for Hospitality and Tourism
The government has extended the temporary reduced rate of VAT (5%) to tourist attractions and goods and services supplied by the hospitality sector. This relief came into effect on 15 July 2020 and will now end on 31 March 2021 across the UK.
VAT Deferral New Payment Scheme
If you deferred payments that were due between 20 March and 30 June 2020, then these payments need to be made to HMRC by 31 March 2021. You can use the New Payment Scheme to spread these payments over equal instalments up to 31 March 2022. Alternatively, you can make payments as normal by 31 March 2021 or make Time To Pay arrangements with HMRC if you need more tailored support.
New Self Assessment Self-Serve Time To Pay Scheme
If you deferred paying your July 2020 Payment on Account, you will need to pay the deferred amount, in addition to any balancing payment and first 2020/21 Payment on Account, by 31 January 2021. This may be a larger payment than you usually pay in January.
If you’re unable to pay your Self-Assessment (SA) bill in full by 31 January 2021, you can set up a Time to Pay payment plan of up to 12 months online without speaking to us. If you have SA tax debts of up to £30,000, you’ll able to access this Time to Pay facility through GOV.UK and will get automatic and immediate approval. If your SA debts are over £30,000, or you need longer than 12 months to repay your debt in full, you will still be able to use our Time to Pay arrangement by calling HMRC.
Other business support schemes:
Changes to CJRS – what you need to do from 1 October
From 1 October, HMRC will pay 60% of usual wages up to a cap of £1,875 per month for the hours furloughed employees do not work.
You will continue to pay your furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. You will need to fund the difference between this and the CJRS grant yourself.
The caps are proportional to the hours not worked. For example, if your employee is furloughed for half their usual hours in October, you are entitled to claim 60% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to £937.50 (half of £1,875 cap). You must still pay your employee at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they don’t work, so for someone only working half their usual hours you’d need to pay them up to £1,250 (half of £2,500 cap), funding the remaining portion yourself. For help with calculations, search ‘Calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
You’ll also continue to pay your furloughed employees’ National Insurance and pension contributions from your own funds.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Key messages
ATTENTION: Thank you to everyone already helping with spreading the covid-19 preventative messages.
As well as continuing to share content from our social media channels Twitter: @GlosCC, the Gloucestershire County Council Facebook page and Instagram: @gloucestershirecc, we are now loading the images, gifs and other materials we produce onto our Flickr accounthttps://www.flickr.com/photos/gloscc/ so you can easily access them and share with others you know can help us spread the messages.
There are ongoing issues around testing capacity. It is essential residents book a slot before arriving to a testing site. Residents are reminded to only book a test if they have symptoms.
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for community heroes and shared our celebration of people in Gloucestershire on Monday. www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/glosday
The NHS Covid-19 track and trace mobile app launched yesterday. Please download the app to your mobile phone and encourage your friends and family to do this too. You can find the app through your device’s App Store and it is free. It will alert you if you have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronivirus.
Hartpury University & Hartpury College (26 – 27 September)
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham (27 September)
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold (28 – 29 September & 1 October)
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve (30 September)
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:
Total Confirmed Cases – 2,249
Cheltenham – 527
Cotswold – 246
Forest of Dean – 195
Gloucester – 639
Stroud – 335
Tewkesbury – 307
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 230
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 11 September but were registered up to 19 September – 585
Deaths in care homes – 263
Tuesday 22nd September 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimising and managing any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at locations across the county. Please see this week’s locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking – anyone without a booking risks being turned away.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This week’s locations:
These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Tuesday 22 Sept
Wednesday 23 Sept
Thursday 24 Sept
Friday 25 Sept
Saturday 26 Sept
Sunday 27 Sept
Monday 28 Sept
Tuesday 29 Sept
Wednesday 30 Sept
Thursday 1 Oct
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
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x
x
x
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
x
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE
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x
Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
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x
x
x
x
x
x
x
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x
Friday 18th September 2020:
Key messages
ATTENTION: Thank you to everyone already helping with spreading the covid-19 preventative messages.
As well as continuing to share content from our social media channels Twitter: @GlosCC, the Gloucestershire County Council Facebook page and Instagram: gloucestershirecc, we are now loading the images, gifs and other materials we produce onto our Flickr accounthttps://www.flickr.com/photos/gloscc/ so you can easily access them and share with others you know can help us spread the messages.
Social gatherings of more than six people are now illegal in England. The law change bans larger groups meeting anywhere socially indoors or outdoors, but does not apply to schools, workplaces or Covid-secure weddings, funerals and organised team sports.
There are ongoing issues around testing capacity. It is essential residents book a slot before arriving to a testing site. Residents are reminded to only book a test if they have symptoms.
On Monday 21 September we will mark our first ever ‘Gloucestershire Day’ – an opportunity to publicly thank those who have gone above and beyond their normal duty during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a time to celebrate everything that is great about our county www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/glosday
News from TBC: Service delivery – Gloucestershire Day will be taking place on Monday 21 September to publicly thank those who have gone above and beyond during the pandemic. Tewkesbury Borough Council will be flying the Gloucestershire Flag on that day and will be supporting GCC with their social media and publicity. The annual electoral canvass is now moving into phase two, reminding householders to respond to the communication they’ve had from the council regarding details of household members.
Community support – One of six Covid-19 Compliance Officers across Gloucestershire started their post in Tewkesbury Borough on Monday, working with the environmental health team to look at some of the preventative work needed to avoid a local lockdown. The post was appointed by Tewkesbury Borough Council but the officer could be asked to cover other areas if there is a particular need elsewhere in the county. A press release will be issued shortly to encouraging community groups to apply for funding that will enable them to support their community response to the pandemic. To date Tewkesbury Borough Council has issued 71 emergency community grants, totalling £63,714.
Business support and Growth Hub activity – Businesses across England and Wales like pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas are being urged to ensure they have NHS QR code posters visible on entry so customers who have downloaded the new NHS COVID-19 app can use their smartphones to easily check-in. The move comes ahead of a national launch of the NHS COVID-19 app across England and Wales on Thursday 24 September. Since lockdown all Growth Hub business support delivery has continued virtually. We have provided assistance to more than 200 businesses via signposting, Navigator, Guide and Covid related support since 1st July 2020. With the exception of co-working space all other delivery, including nearly 200 online events and workshops, has continued. Performance againstproject targets is strong and we are also now starting to record new jobs created, so picking up again against this particular target. TBC have been working closely with Local Authority’s to align business support and ensure that signposting is working.
Recovery Grants – The Project Change Request (PCR) for the grants has been approved this morning (3rd September) and will allow us to administer c145 grants across the SME and Tourism funds, based on an allocation of 3k per application. TBC have had huge interest in the grants with more than 1000 businesses expressing an interest and will be sending out direct and broadcast communications regarding next steps over the coming days. Great opportunity to bring new GH clients on board, but essential that risk to reputation is managed as such a high percentage of businesses will be unsuccessful. Similar challenges are being mirrored throughout other LEP/GH teams in England. Working with LEP Visitor Economy Sector Group to assist with the VE criteria. Investigating all available alternative routes for signposting unsuccessful businesses to alternative means of support in addition to direct GH support. Recruitment of dedicated Grant Administrator roles expected to start next week. Grant Application process likely to open end September
Communications – PR Consultant Samantha Summerfield is now retained to assist with Growth Hub umbrella network communications until end March 2021-focussing on grants during September and new sector engagement Oct –Dec. Growth Hub website refresh project to start this month withtarget completion January 2021.
LEP Update – Working closely with BEIS and MHCLG to deliver the following additional services from October –SME Grants, Peer Networks, Specialist advisor support. GH Cluster lead role is going well, we have weekly calls with West of England and SWLEP and are working together on initiatives like Peer Networks. Working closely with BEIS on the Business Support Reform Plan reviewing how business support should be offered nationally with the potentialfor the devolution of some services to Growth Hubs.
The Government have announced that social gatherings of more than six people will be illegal in England from Monday. The law change will ban larger groups meeting anywhere socially indoors or outdoors, but it will not apply to schools, workplaces or Covid-secure weddings, funerals and organised team sports.
There are ongoing issues around testing capacity. It is essential residents book a slot before arriving to a testing site. Residents are reminded to only book a test if they have symptoms.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 28 August but were registered up to 4 September- 585 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes – 261 (0 new)
News from TBC: Service delivery – Tewkesbury Borough Council committees continue to meet online. The annual electoral canvass is ongoing. A webpage is now available from the county council that provides a weekly update on the Covid-19 situation across Gloucestershire: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/inform/health/coronavirus-covid-19-intelligence-for-gloucestershire/ Gloucestershire County Council is organising a special day to publicly thank those who havegone above and beyond during the pandemic. As part of this they are looking for nominations for Covid-19 Community Heroes. Tewkesbury Borough Council will be flying the Gloucestershire flag on that day and will be supporting GCC with its efforts to publicise the day, particularly on social media, using the hashtag #GlosDay.Community support. Six Covid-19 compliance officers have been appointed across Gloucestershire and will start from next week. They are all experienced health and safety professionals who will be carrying out preventative work across the county and will help ensure businesses are complying with national guidelines. If required, they’ll also help with the response to local outbreaks. The community grants scheme is still open and Tewkesbury Borough Council is encouraging groups to apply for funding needed to support community efforts. To date 66 emergency community grants, totalling £59,414, have been granted to the following voluntary and community groups supporting communities in Tewkesbury Borough:3rd Tewkesbury Scout Group 4th Cheltenham Boys Brigade Abbey Fields Community Centre Abbeyfield Tewkesbury Society Ltd Alderton Parish Council Be Social at the Centre, Winchcombe Brockworth Link Brockworth Parish Council CCP Community Involvement TeamMitton Manor Pre-School and After School Club North and West Gloucestershire Citizens Advice Northway Parish Council Priors Park Neighbourhood Project Radio Winchcombe Ltd Rooftop Housing Association Severn Area Rescue Association -Tewkesbury Station Churchdown ABC Churchdown Bowls Club Churchdown Community Association Cobalt Community Connexions Friends of Water Search and Rescue Team Gardners Lane and Oakwood Federation GL3 Community Hub Gloucestershire Counselling Service Gloucestershire Deaf Association Gotherington Parish Council Gotherington Village Hall Heart of Priors Park Community Interest Company Highnam with Highnam Church COVID-19 Group Hucclecote Parish Council Independently CIC Mencap Mindsong Shurdington Mutual Support with Shurdington Parish Council Southam Community Support with Southam Parish Council Springbank Community Food Bank Stoke Orchard and Tredington Parish Council Sycamore Chapel Northway Tewkesbury Community Response Tewkesbury Food bank Tewkesbury Town Colts Football Cub The Hollie Gazzard Trust The Sensory Zone Tudor House Trust Twyning Community Minibus Twyning Parish Council Tynings Court Social Fund WAM Youth, Winchombe Wheatpieces Parish Council Woodmancote Parish Council
Business support – The government will soon make it mandatory for the hospitality sector to take track and trace records –environmental health officers will be supporting Tewkesbury borough businesses with this.A meeting of local authority partners is taking place next week to consider how tourism moves forwards across Gloucestershire
More information regarding the national testing portal below in the “questions answered” section.
Important information regarding face covering in council offices can be found below.
On Monday 21 September we will mark our first ever ‘Gloucestershire Day’ – an opportunity to publicly thank those who have gone above and beyond their normal duty during the Covid-19 pandemic, and a time to celebrate everything that is great about our county www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/glosday
Car sharing – advice around car sharing with colleagues has been shared. We have also being pushing messages out around this via our social media accounts, and provided information, including a poster to our partner organisations to share and use.
There were some reported issues with GCC online forms over the bank holiday weekend, particularly HRC booking forms – this was due to high levels of demand. These issues have been resolved as Jadu has given us extra server capacity to cope with issues from a patch they released recently. Social media has been updated to say the system is working, but encouraging the public to wait to book if possible so as not to flood/overload the system. Around 400 bookings were still made on Wednesday despite the issues.
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester (3 – 5 September)
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham (5 – 7 September)
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Total Confirmed Cases – 2030
Cheltenham – 472
Cotswold – 229
Forest of Dean – 175
Gloucester – 580
Stroud – 292
Tewkesbury – 282
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 230
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 21 August but were registered up to 29 August – 585
Deaths in care homes – 261
Tuesday 1st September 2020:
From 1 September HMRC will now pay 70% of usual wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 per month for the hours furloughed employees do not work.
What you need to do now
Continue to pay your furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. You will need to fund the difference between this and the CJRS grant yourself.
The caps are proportional to the hours not worked. For example, if your employee is furloughed for half their usual hours in September, you are entitled to claim 70% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work up to £1,093.75 (50% of the £2,187.50 cap).
Continue to pay furloughed employees’ National Insurance and pension contributions from your own funds.
Make sure your data is right
It’s important that you provide all the data we need to process your claim. Payment of your grant may be at risk or delayed if you submit a claim that is incomplete or incorrect, so we want to help you get this right. We will get in touch if we see any employee data missing from your previous claims.
Claiming for 100 or more employees: use our template
It’s really important to use the right file type when uploading your data. The easiest way to ensure your file is in the right format is to use our template. To find it search ‘download a template if you’re claiming for 100 or more employees through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
If your file is in the wrong format – for example, an incorrect file type or too many or too few columns – it may be rejected. If your file is rejected, you’ll receive a message to say it has not been accepted and your claim will not be processed.
Fraudulent claims
We have started to investigate CJRS claims where fraud is suspected. We will be paying particular attention to claims that differ from the PAYE data we hold and where we have received reports of fraud. Employees are encouraged to report their employer if they have reason to believe that they are abusing the scheme. They can do this anonymously if they prefer. For more information go to GOV.UK and search ‘report fraud to HMRC’.
More information
Guidance and live webinars offering you more support on changes to the scheme and how they impact you are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Our phone lines and webchat are still very busy, so the quickest way to find the support you may need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Gloucestershire Music will be reopening the Colwell Arts Centre for its instrument hire scheme from 26 August. A full risk assessment and measures, such as appointment system and cleaning regime, are in place.
We have been made aware the national online portal to book COVID-19 tests is experiencing problems as it has reached capacity. We have no local control over this in Gloucestershire. Please check the Department of Health and Social Care website for more information – https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-of-health-and-social-care
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham (20 – 22 August)
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester (23 – 29 August)
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold (30 – 31 August)
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Total Confirmed Cases – 1,967
Cheltenham – 455
Cotswold – 223
Forest of Dean – 169
Gloucester – 566
Stroud – 282
Tewkesbury – 272
Deaths in NHS Trusts – 230
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 7 August but were registered up to 15 August – 582
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 7 August but were registered up to 15 August – 582
Deaths in care homes – 261
News from TBC: Service delivery•A post has been shared on the TBC social media page asking residents to only donate to charity shops when they are open. It highlights that leaving donations outside charity shops is classed as fly tipping. •The licensing team have started to undertake private hire interviews in the office by appointment only –a full risk assessment has been done around this. •Planning officers have started to undertake site visits following the appropriate risk assessments being carried out. Visits are also being undertaken by the revenues team to assess new build houses. Options for a joined-up approach to this are being explored.
Community support •On average numbers to the Help Hub have remained very low with only one urgent request received in the recent weeks.•All volunteers registered with the Help Hub will be moved onto an app called Groop a community management platform to help coordinate groups across the county.
Business support•The Growth Hub are currently offering an online service to provide support to businesses with online seminars also available. •Tewkesbury hub is working with the Growth Hub Network and LEP on the development of a funding bid to establish a Youth Enterprise Hub project. This will include the employment of an apprentice in each Gloucestershire Hub. The Growth Hub apprentices will design and develop the Youth Hub offer to support young people as active citizens, maximise engagement with the business community and support young enterprise. They will also help promote apprenticeship opportunities and employment pathways for young people.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 31 July but were registered up to 8 August – 582
Deaths in care homes – 260
Information from HMRC:
Changes to the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) from 1 September and what this means for you.
What you need to do from 1 September
From 1 September CJRS will pay 70% of usual wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 per month for the hours furloughed employees do not work.
You will still need to pay your furloughed employees at least 80% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work, up to a cap of £2,500 per month. You will need to fund the difference between this and the CJRS grant yourself.
The caps are proportional to the hours not worked. For example, if your employee is furloughed for half their usual hours in September, you are entitled to claim 70% of their usual wages for the hours they do not work up to £1,093.75 (50% of the £2,187.50 cap).
You will continue to have to pay furloughed employees’ National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions from your own funds.
Further guidance and live webinars offering you more support on changes to the scheme and how they impact you are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
We are still receiving very high demand on our phone lines and webchat, so the quickest way to find the support you may need is on GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
Making sure your data is right
It’s important that you provide all the data we need to process your claim. Payment of your grant may be at risk or delayed if you submit a claim that is incomplete or incorrect, so we want to help you get this right. We will get in touch if we see any employee data missing from your previous claims.
You can find everything you’ll need to help make your claim on GOV.UK, including a useful calculator and guidance on the data you need to provide and the format you need to use to ensure your claim is accepted. Search for ‘claim for wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’.
If you’re claiming for 100 or more employees, please download and use our template as this will help you make sure your data is right – search ‘download a template if you’re claiming for 100 or more employees through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Finding previous CJRS guidance
We’ve recently updated our CJRS guidance to make it easier for you to find the most relevant, up-to-date information.
If you need to check older guidance – for example, information for your claims ending on or before 30 June – you can search ‘check if you can claim for your employees’ wages through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ or ‘check which employees you can put on furlough to use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK. A link to previous guidance can be found in boxes at the top of these pages.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
I hope this information helps you and your business and we’ll continue to keep you updated on scheme developments over the coming weeks.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 31 July but were registered up to 8 August – 582
Deaths in care homes – 260
News from TBC: Service delivery•The hotel accommodation bought in to house rough sleepers is starting to be phased out, more permanent arrangements are being explored. •The environmental health team are incredibly busy providing advice and support to a wide range of businesses and groups to help them operate safely, as well as continuing with business as usual requests.It is unlikely that the teams workload will reduce in the near future and work is taking place to appoint additional environmental health officers across the county to help with the recovery phase and local outbreak prevention and control.•Housing officers worked with partners from the police to house occupants of a property in Tewkesbury following a three month closure order which was secured by the Police –more information can be found in Gloucestershire Constabulary’s press release.
Community support •Initial research on what the impact of social isolation/loneliness has had on the most impacted groups has showed; carers, mums with younger children, those on maternity leave, older people and those with underlying health conditions are the most affected -this is now being looked at across the county. •A county volunteering steering group has been set up to look at the next steps to take advantage of the up surge in volunteering.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.96m in grant payments. •The growth hub and economic development teams continue to see a high volume of enquiries from businesses. •The procurement process has started to commission some communications work to help promote the town centre’sand encouraging people to shop safely. This is in line with the reopening the high streets safely fund from Government.
Wednesday 12th August 2020:
Mobile Testing Unit locations
An important part of minimise and manage any future spread of Covid-19 is the speed at which people can be tested and isolation measures put in place, should an outbreak occur.
The mobile testing unit is now available at other locations across the county. Please see this weeks locations below.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 can have a test. You must book a test in advance. Please do not turn up to one of the locations without booking.
To book a test or for more information on testing, go to the NHS website or call 119.
This weeks locations: These dates are subject to change. Please check the GCC website for changes.
Mobile testing unit locations
Friday 7 Aug
Saturday 8 Aug
Sunday 9 Aug
Monday 10 Aug
Tuesday 11 Aug
Wednesday 12 Aug
Thursday 13 Aug
Friday 14 Aug
Saturday 15 Aug
Sunday 16 Aug
Monday 17 Aug
Stow
Stow Rugby Football Club, Oddington Road, Stow, GL54 1JJ
X
X
X
Cirencester
Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS
X
X
X
X
X
Cheltenham
University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH
X
X
X
Bishops Cleeve
Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG
X
X
X
X
X
Tewkesbury
Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG
Stroud
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH
Four libraries will reopen this week with strict social distancing measures in place. The four libraries are: Newent Library and Longlevens Library (Monday 10), Prestbury Library (Tuesday 11) and Stonehouse Library (Wednesday 12). More are set to open in the coming weeks.
We are releasing new face covering messages on social media from this week, and targeted messages to young people around social distancing when going out with friends to enjoy the weather this weekend.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 24 July but were registered up to 1 August – 582
Deaths in care homes – 260
News from TBC: Service delivery•The environmental health team is incredibly busy providing advice and support to a wide range of businesses and groups to help them operate safely, as well as continuing with business as usual requests. The number of complaints around bonfires and fly tipping is increasing, and more work will be done on our website and social media around this. •The leisure centre reopened on Monday, 3 August and the swimming pool will reopen on Monday, 10 August. Early feedback from leisure centre members has been positive.•Parking charges resumed in borough-owned car parks just under a month ago. Users are advised to pay using the RingGo cashless payment system as it is the safest way to pay due to the reduced contact with the machines. Previously around 17% of car park users paid this way and this has now increased to 55% and is growing weekly•An additional 900 council tax reduction applications have been received through our online form. It is estimated that once all have been received, this will be an additional 50% of the usual caseload. Demand is currently being managed by the team but workloads are being closely monitored.
Community support •Shielding for vulnerable people ended on 1 August and national food parcels are no longer being delivered. The community team did receive a number of calls, but those calling were able to be directed to priority supermarket slots or the county’s emergency living scheme where necessary. •A survey, which was sent by each district council to volunteers who put themselves forward for volunteering through the Community Help Hub, has received 1200 responses. These are being followed up and over 800 have been offered opportunities to continue to volunteer through the VCS Alliance. The survey is also gathering the volunteers’ feedback on their experience during the pandemic.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.91m in grant payments to 1454 businesses. •The government has announced that all business grant schemes will close from 28 August. A further push on the grants will be done before applications close. •The Growth Hub team continues to be busy with enquiries and announcements from Government. The government has announced a scheme of recovery grants for small medium enterprises’ as well as the Kick-Starting Tourism package grants -both of which will be delivered through the Growth Hub Network. More information regarding the detail of the schemes is being awaited and further bulletins will give more information as we receive it. Businesses can register to receive updates. It is anticipated that applications for both schemes will be live in September.
Job Retention Bonus
Employers will be able to claim a one-off payment of £1,000 for every employee they have previously received a grant for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), and who remains continuously employed through to the end of January 2021.
To be eligible, the employee must have received earnings in November, December and January, and must have been paid an average of at least £520 per month, and a total of at least £1,560 across the three months.
As the employer, you will be able to claim the bonus after you have filed PAYE information for January 2021, and the bonus will be paid from February 2021. More detailed guidance, including how you can claim the bonus online, will be available by the end of September.
If you intend to claim the Job Retention Bonus you must:
ensure all your employee records are up to date
accurately report employees’ details and wages on the Full Payment Submission (FPS) through the Real Time Information (RTI) reporting system
make sure all of your CJRS claims have been accurately submitted and you have told us about any changes needed (for example if you’ve received too much or too little).
From 1 August 2020 CJRS continues to provide grants for furloughed employees but no longer funds employers’ National Insurance (NI) and pensions contributions. You now have to make these payments from your own resources for all employees, whether furloughed or not. Our guidance has been updated to reflect these changes.
Further guidance and live webinars offering more support on changes to the scheme and how they impact you are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
Please only contact us if you can’t find the information you need from GOV.UK. This will leave our phone lines and webchat service open for those who need them most.
It’s important that you provide the data we need to process your claim. Payment of your grant may be at risk or delayed if you submit a claim that is incomplete or incorrect. We may be in touch to request employee data if it’s missing from your previous claims
You need to provide a National Insurance number (NINO) for all employees as part of your CJRS claim. The only exception is in the very limited circumstances where an employee genuinely does not have a NINO, for example if they are under 16 years old.
If you are claiming for an employee whose NINO you don’t currently know, you can check their number by searching GOV.UK for ‘Check a National Insurance Number using basic PAYE Tools’.
We can no longer accept claims for fewer than 100 employees by phone where you do not have all employee NINO’s unless the employees you are claiming for genuinely do not have these.
If you have claimed too much for a CJRS grant and have not repaid it, you must notify us and repay the money by the latest of whichever date applies below:
90 days after receiving the CJRS money you’re not entitled to
90 days from when circumstances changed so that you were no longer entitled to keep the CJRS grant
20 October 2020 if you received CJRS money you’re not entitled to or if your circumstances changed on or before 22 July.
If you do not do this, you may have to pay a penalty. We do understand mistakes happen, particularly in these challenging times, and will not seek out innocent errors and small mistakes for compliance action. We will act, however, against anyone who deliberately sets out to defraud the system or claims money they aren’t entitled to. If you have received more than you are entitled to, you can let us know as part of your next online claim without needing to call us – the system will prompt you to add details on if you have received too much. For more information, search for ‘if you claim too much or not enough from the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK. If you received too much and do not plan to submit further claims – or you have claimed less than you were entitled to – please contact us by searching ‘Contact HMRC’ on GOV.UK.
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 17 July but were registered up to 25 July³ – 581
Deaths in care homes⁴ – 260
News from TBC: Service delivery•There are around 106 people from across the county in hotel accommodation due to homelessness, the hotel accommodation offering will remain in place until 24 August at the earliest.•The environmental health team are incredibly busy providing advice and support to a wide range of businesses and groups to help them operate safely, as well as continuing with business as usual requests and food inspections. •The furlough scheme will see changes from 1 August, it is anticipated that this will lead to an increase in number of people moving to Universal Credit and claiming council tax reduction. •To help build on the work already done on developing messages, channels and approaches to support the different elements of the Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP), Gloucestershire County Council have put together a short survey for councillors, parish councils and volunteers. The answers should give a greater understanding of what has and hasn’t worked well, how messages have been received and where more focus may be needed over the coming months. The survey will be open until 10 August. •Further work is being undertaken by council officers to gather business intelligence to support the high street recovery and to ascertain whether any further interventions are needed to enable social distancing and provide any additional space required by businesses.
Community support •Those shielding are able to go out from tomorrow (1 August), those that have been receiving national food parcels have been contacted by the national team by letter and calls to make them aware that the parcels will not be delivered. There are provisions locally to provide support to those that continue to need it
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.87m in grant payments to 1452 businesses. A total of 1691 applications have been received, 186 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •The government’s eat out to help out voucher scheme starts on Monday, information has been put on our social media platforms advising businesses how to sign up to the scheme and details of those registered will be put on the councils Covid-19 website.•The government have announced that all business grant schemes will close from 28 August. There will still be a considerable amount of work to do in undertaking and reporting grant assurance checks to government on a monthly basis until March 2021. Work is taking place to identify businesses eligible for a grant that have not made contact.This is now primarily being done through the planning policy team whilst they are out in the borough doing their annual monitoring work. It is understood there are around 90 businesses that could still be eligible for grants.
From today (24 July) it is the law to wear a face covering indoors including shops, supermarkets, banks and post offices. There is a list of when to wear a face covering and who is exempt on the government website.
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold (until 2 August, closed on 28 July for one day)
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud (until 26 July, returns on 31 July until 3 August)
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 3 July but were registered up to 11 July – 581
Deaths in care homes – 259
[CQC have made retrospective changes to the data, these changes affected the numbers of deaths from COVID 19 recorded in weeks 16-23, data reported since week 24 is unchanged]
News from TBC: Service delivery•There are around 120 people from across the county in hotel accommodation due to homelessness, arrangements are being made with P3 for the use of 50 more permanent accommodation units.•Places for People are putting the necessary measures in place for Tewkesbury Leisure Centre to open on 3 August. A press release announcing the opening date was published this week. •Parking charges were reintroduced in borough owned car parks from 13 July, those using the car parks are advised to pay using the RingGo parking app to avoid touching the parking meters, this has seen the number of people using the app double. •The environmental health team are incredibly busy providing advice and support to a wide range of businesses and groups to help them operate safely. •The number of council tax reduction applications have stabalised over the past few days however, the team are expecting a peak over next few weeks when changes are made to the furlough scheme. •The council tax hardship fund has been added to the accounts of 1353 residents. •Garden Town update:Gloucestershire County Council’s Transport Planning and Major Projects Team is currently assessing options for a potential transport scheme to upgrade the M5 junction 9 near Tewkesbury and re-route the section of the A46 which currently passes through Ashchurch. A webpage for the scheme is now live at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/J9. As part of the technical work taking place, landowners in the area have been contacted to request access to land for environmental assessment surveys. Public consultation on the scheme options is currently planned for early 2021 with an Outline Business Case (OBC) to be submitted to DfT in early 2022. Should members of the public have any queries, please guide them to the webpage in the first instance, or they can email the project team at M5Junction9@atkinsglobal.com.•To help build on the work already done on developing messages, channels and approaches to support the different elements of the Local Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP), Gloucestershire County Council have put together a short survey for councillors, parish councils and volunteers. Your answers give a greater understanding of what has and hasn’t worked well, how messages have been received and where more focus may be needed over the coming months. The survey will be open until 10 August.
Community support •The number of calls coming through to the help hub remain very low, the team are now assessing the potential demand after 1 August when shielding advice changes and vulnerable residents no longer receive the government food parcels. Alternative arrangements and support for those in need is being finalised.•There are a number of community organisations set up to support the response to Covid-19 that are now looking to have a wider role in the community to continue providing support. The team are working with these organisations to help in their development•50 community groups have been awarded community grant funding;a further nine community grants are pending bringing the total amount awarded to approximately£55,000.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.83m in grant payments to 1449 businesses. A total of 1686 applications have been received, 187 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •Advice is being developed at a county level for businesses considering making redundancies to make sure they have access to resources to make redundancies correctly and to ensure they have correct support in place for employees. •The fund allocated to Tewkesbury Borough Council under the Discretionary Business Grants Scheme has been successfully allocated to eligible businesses. A press release has been sent giving more information.•The government have announced that all business grant schemes will close from 28 August. There will still be a considerable amount of work to do in reporting grant assurance to government on a monthly basis until March 2021. •The LEP have launched their recovery plan, in line with this the Growth Hub team will continue to work with businesses needing additional support.
Tuesday 21st July 2020:
Gloucestershire Updates:
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud (until 26 July)
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 3 July but were registered up to 11 July – 579
Deaths in care homes – 226
Friday 17th July 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery•The environmental health team continue to provide advice and support to a wide range of businesses to help them operate safely. This is a challenging time as the legislation and guidance is not complete and interpretation needs to be carried out.•The environmental health team have also seen an increase in the number of day to day complaints including asbestos reports and fuel spillages. •865 new council tax reduction applications have been received since the beginning of the pandemic and it is likely that this will continue to increase.
Community support •NHS Gloucestershire CCG wants to capture the experiences of people from across the county during the Covid-19 pandemic. In response to the pandemic, significant changes to health and care services have had to be implemented quickly across the South West region. Please share your views by completing this questionnaire. It should take between ten and fifteen minutes.The survey will be open until 31 July 2020.•Those shielding will no longer receive food parcels from 1 August. It has been reported that there are 2000 residents in the county receiving these food parcels, they will have received a letter and phone call from the national call centre explaining the new process but it is still expect there will be some who make contact through the Help Hub. •The county will use funding allocation distributed to local authorities in England to help those who are struggling to afford food and other essentials due to coronavirus through their Emergency Living Scheme,we will be able to refer residents to this scheme.
Businesssupport•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.81m in grant payments to 1447 businesses. A total of 1685 applications have been received, 187 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria.
Shire Hall and Barbican receptions will remain available by appointment-only at this time. This will be kept under review.
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold, GL54 1JJ
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud
Stats:
Total Confirmed Cases¹ – 1,837
Cheltenham – 425
Cotswold – 202
Forest of Dean – 162
Gloucester – 536
Stroud – 258
Tewkesbury – 254
[Numbers of lab-confirmed positive cases now include those identified by testing in all settings (pillars 1 and 2). Due to this change many cases previously not attributed to any area are now included in area totals. This is not a recent surge in cases – the cases now being reported occurred from April onwards.]
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 228
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 26 June but were registered up to 4 July³ – 578
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 77
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 225
Friday 10th July 2020:
Gloucestershire updates:
Libraries offering collection services announced.
GCC press release about 1550 free laptops and tablets for vulnerable children made national news on Wednesday. The story featured Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service delivering laptops to Severn Vale School, and was covered at lunchtime by BBC One and BBC News Channel, as well as most BBC regional news television broadcasts.
First weddings in Gloucestershire since the beginning of lockdown took place on Saturday 4 July; there are still significant restrictions on ceremonies.
£30k to help feed families over school holidays.
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold, GL54 1JJ
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud
News from TBC: Service delivery • The number of rough sleepers housed in hotels continues to fluctuate and work is ongoing to secure longer term accommodation. It is hoped the hotel accommodation will be extended to mid-August. • We are running a short survey for landlords and tenants and would appreciate if you could share the link with residents in your area. The aim of the survey is to get an idea of how landlords and tenants across the borough have been affected by the pandemic and to offer help to avoid eviction and homelessness through the housing team. • Car parking charges will resume in all borough owned car parks from Monday, 13 July. New signage will be put in all car parks encouraging people to use the app to pay to avoid touching the parking meters. Those who do not have smartphones are able to call a number and pay over the phone or pay at a local paypoint location. Information has also been put on social media along with signs on the machines warning people charges will resume and encouraging the use of the app. • The travellers that had set up camp on the Vineyards in Tewkesbury have been moved on, landscaping work is scheduled to take place next week to try to prevent them being able to access the site again. • Play areas across the borough have been unlocked this week and temporary signs with safety advice have been put up. More permanent signs have been ordered for all borough owned play areas. • The environmental health team continue to provide advice and support to businesses to help them operate safely. Officers were out with the police over the weekend and reported that all pubs and restaurants had good measures in place. • 832 new council tax reduction applications have been received since the beginning of the pandemic and it is likely that this will continue to increase. The revenues and benefits team continue to provide support to those that need it most through the council tax hardship fund so far, hardship fund payments totalling £172,000 have been added eligible accounts. Work will continue to identify residents eligible for the payment.
Community support • Conversations with community groups have shown that some are starting to reduce the support they are able, or need, to offer however, there are still some groups who want to help and are supporting their communities in different ways as we move through the recovery phase. • The Help Hub continues to operate over five days a week, although the number of calls is decreasing. The team are working with other community groups to ensure longer term support is in place for those in need. • Following the announcement yesterday sport facilities will be able to open from the 25 July and guidance has been issued around this. Sport England also have some useful information on their website.
Business support • The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.765m in grant payments to 1444 businesses. A total of 1670 applications have been received, 178 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. • Applications for the discretionary business grants scheme reopened on Monday and will close on Sunday 12 July, further promotion of this has been done on social media and directly with eligible businesses.
Local Outbreak Management Plan The purpose of the Gloucestershire Health Protection Board (HPB) is to provide assurance on behalf of the residents in the county that there are safe and effective plans in place to protect population health, to include communicable disease control, infection prevention and control, emergency planning, environmental health, screening and immunisation programmes. The role of the group is to respond to the COVID-19 Test, Trace and Isolate Local Authority Outbreak Management Plan (LOMP) responsibilities. Rob Weaver is Tewkesbury Borough Council’s lead officer in relation to the Local Authority Outbreak Management Plan and Peter Tonge is his deputy. There is an operational plan that sits under the LOMP and Tewkesbury Borough Council officers have been involved in developing this plan. An exercise to test the plan was held this week and feedback from the regional test and trace advisor was positive and she felt that the HPB had a good grip on what would need to be done in the event of local outbreaks. Sitting alongside the HPB is the Covid-19 Outbreak Engagement Board. The purpose of the board is to provide member and community oversight of the Gloucestershire Local Outbreak Management Plan and communicate appropriately with local communities and settings. Tewkesbury Borough Council are represented on this board by Councillor Rob Bird with Councillor Jim Mason as his deputy.
Following the latest Government announcement here is a summary of what businesses can open and when: From Saturday 11 July Outdoor pools and waterparks can reopen and certain team sports, such as cricket, will be able to return. From Monday 13 July • Spas • Nail bars and beauty salons • Massage parlours • Tattoo parlours • Body and skin piercing services
From Saturday 25 July Leisure centres, gyms and indoor swimming pools can open. Gyms are encouraged to use timed booking systems to reduce the number of people there at one time, reduce class sizes, space out equipment and there will be enhanced cleaning.
Wednesday 8th July 2020:
Job Retention Bonus.
This is a one-off payment of £1,000 to employers that have used the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for each furloughed employee who remains continuously employed until 31 January 2021. The bonus will provide additional support to retain employees.
To be eligible, employees will need to:
earn at least £520 per month (above the Lower Earnings Limit) on average for November, December and January
have been furloughed by you at any point and legitimately claimed for under the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
have been continuously employed by you up until at least 31 January 2021.
Employers will be able to claim the bonus from February 2021 once accurate RTI data to 31 January has been received. More information about this scheme will be available by 31 July and full guidance will be published in the Autumn.
Other new measures announced
The Chancellor also announced other measures, including:
the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme – during August, diners can get 50% off Monday to Wednesday on meals and non-alcoholic drinks, up to £10 per person, when eating at participating restaurants, bars, cafes and other establishments that have registered
VAT reduction – from 15 July until 12 January 2021, the UK government will cut VAT from 20% to 5% on any eat-in or hot takeaway food and drinks from restaurants, cafes and pubs, excluding alcohol. This VAT reduction also applies to all holiday accommodation in hotels, B&Bs, campsites and caravan sites, as well as attractions like cinemas, theme parks and zoos
an increase in the Stamp Duty Land Tax (SDLT) threshold in England and Northern Ireland – increasing the threshold under which no SDLT is paid on the purchase of a main home from £125,000 to £500,000, with immediate effect until 31 March 2021.
For more information, search ‘plan for jobs’ on GOV.UK.
Updates on CJRS scheme
We would also like to make you aware of some key dates on the CJRS scheme that might affect you:
Claiming for employees furloughed on or before 30 June
You need to claim by 31 July for employees furloughed through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS) for periods ending on or before 30 June.
Get ready for changes from 1 August
You will no longer be able to use a CJRS grant to cover National Insurance (NI) and pension contributions for furloughed employees from 1 August. You can submit your August claim in advance, from 20 July.
Working out your claims
You can use our online examples and calculator to help you work out what you can claim, for claims ending on or before 31 July. From 10 July you will also be able to use these to help you work out claims ending on or before 31 August. Search for ‘calculate how much you can claim using the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Made a mistake on your claim?
You can now delete a claim online within 72 hours of submitting it. Search ‘claim for wages through Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Calls to customers
We are contacting selected employers to discuss their claims. These calls will be to check they haven’t made any mistakes and to help make sure they’re claiming the correct amount.
Further support
Live webinars on changes to the scheme and how they impact you are available to book online – search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’ on GOV.UK. Please leave our phone lines open for those who need them most.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
I hope this information helps you and your business, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on scheme developments over the coming weeks.
Tuesday 7th July 2020:
Gloucestershire updates
Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) locations:
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold, GL54 1JJ (from Wednesday 8 July)
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud
Total Confirmed Cases¹ – 1,825
Cheltenham – 423
Cotswold – 200
Forest of Dean – 160
Gloucester – 534
Stroud – 257
Tewkesbury – 251
[Numbers of lab-confirmed positive cases now include those identified by testing in all settings (pillars 1 and 2). Due to this change many cases previously not attributed to any area are now included in area totals. This is not a recent surge in cases – the cases now being reported occurred from April onwards.]
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 227
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 19 June but were registered up to 27 June³ – 578
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 80
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 224
Friday 3rd July 2020:
Gloucestershire updates
The methodology for reporting positive cases changed on 2 July 2020 so that numbers of lab-confirmed positive cases throughout this bulletin now include those identified by testing in all settings (pillars 1 and 2).
Also, the changes removed duplicates within and across pillars 1 and 2, to ensure that a person who tests positive is only counted once. Due to this change, and a revision of historical data in pillar 1, the cumulative total for positive cases is now shown as higher for Gloucestershire but these are not newly identified cases.
Stow RFC, Oddington Road, Stow on the Wold (until Sunday 5 July)
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud
Total Confirmed Cases¹ – 1,818
Cheltenham – 420
Cotswold – 199
Forest of Dean – 160
Gloucester – 533
Stroud – 257
Tewkesbury – 249
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 227
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 19 June but were registered up to 27 June³ – 578
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 80
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 224
News from TBC: Service delivery•809 new council tax reduction applications have been received since the beginning of the pandemic and it is likely that this will continue to increase.•As many pubs, cafes and restaurants are gearing up to open on Saturday the Police and environmental health officers will be out across the weekend checking in on the businesses that are opening and those that are continuing to operate to ensure that they are doing so safely. •Ubico are also increasing resources for street cleansing operations on Sunday morning in Tewkesbury and Winchcombe town centres, Bishops Cleeve and some of the higher footfall areas in Brockworth and Churchdown in case there is additional litter generated over the weekend. •Information will also be put on our social media pages encouraging social distance and to take measures to keep themselves and others safe. •The revenues and benefits team continue to provide support to those that need it most through the council tax hardship fund so far, hardship fund payments totalling £155,000 have been added to 1200 eligible accounts. Work will continue to identify residents eligible for the payment.•Hotel accommodation will be available for rough sleepers until the end of July, work is taking place to source more permanent accommodation. •There are travellers on the Vineyards in Tewkesbury, the necessary legal process to evict them has been started. •The local outbreak plan has been published by Gloucestershire County Council more information can be found in the county council’s press release.
Community support •Community grants have been paid to 50 community groups across the borough. •Surveys have been sent to all volunteer groups to gain a better understanding of what they are doing, the resources they have and any support the require. •The Help Hub will continue to operate over five days a week for the foreseeable future.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.73 m in grant payments to 1442 businesses. A total of 1666 applications have been received, 177 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •£680 k was paid out under the discretionary grants scheme to 64 businesses
Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud (until Saturday 27 June)
Countrywide farmers site, Bourton on the Water (until Thursday 2 July)
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Total Confirmed Cases¹ – 1,382 (0 new)
Cheltenham – 324
Cotswold – 156
Forest of Dean – 117
Gloucester – 404
Stroud – 199
Tewkesbury – 182
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 226
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 29 May but were registered up to the 6 June³ – 575
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 80 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 222(0 new)
HMRC Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – flexible furloughing starts from 1 July
From 1 July, you can claim a more flexible grant for any employee you have previously received a CJRS grant for, and who now returns to work on reduced hours. You can also continue to claim for employees who stay fully furloughed.
You can find guidance on eligibility and how to claim for flexibly furloughed employees by searching for ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
What you need to do next
claim for periods ending on or before 30 June, by 31 July – this is the last date you can make those claims
agree the hours and shift patterns that you want your employees to work from 1 July
pay your employees’ wages for the time they’re in work and apply for a job retention scheme grant to cover the remainder of their usual hours for which they are still furloughed
claim for further furlough periods as needed – the first time you will be able to make a claim for days in July will be 1 July.
Live webinars offering more support on changes to the scheme and how they impact you are available to book online – go to GOV.UK and search ‘help and support if your business is affected by coronavirus’.
We’d be grateful if you don’t call us for more information. All details are on GOV.UK and in our webinars. This will leave our phone lines open for those who need them most.
What to do if you have overclaimed
Some employers have contacted us to let us know that they have claimed too much. If this applies to you, then all you need to do is tell us when you next claim so you can pay it back. You will be asked when making your claim whether you need to adjust the amount to take account of a previous error. Your new claim amount will be reduced to reflect this. You do not need to take any other action but should keep a record of this adjustment for six years.
If you’ve made an error in a previous claim but do not plan to submit further claims, you need to contact us to let us know, so that we can tell you how to repay the money.
Claiming for 100 or more employees?
Please use our new template to claim for periods starting on or after 1 July to ensure your claim is processed quickly and successfully.
You can find this template by searching ‘download a template if you’re claiming for 100 or more employees through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK.
Updated guidance on military reservists
Our guidance now confirms you can furlough an employee who is a military reservist returning to work following a period of mobilisation ending after 10 June – even if they haven’t been furloughed before. Search for ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’ on GOV.UK to find out more.
Paying your employer National Insurance Contributions (NICs) and pension contributions
A condition of the CJRS grant is that you pay the related PAYE tax, NICs and pension contributions due on wages. Until 31 July you can continue to claim these for the hours the employee is on furlough. From 1 August employers will no longer be able to claim for NICs and pension contributions.
If you think you may struggle to pay your PAYE tax and/or NICs from August, please contact us as soon as possible, before we start action to recover the unpaid debt. We may be able to give you time to pay.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
Wednesday 24th June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery•The number of council tax reduction applications received continues to increase and now stands at 771 new applications,which equates to around 32% of the usual working age caseload. •The environmental health team continue to see an increase in the number of noise complaints being received. •Following yesterday’s announcement, the environmental health team have received a number of calls from pubs requesting advice on how to open safely. The team continues to support all businesses looking to open, a wider team are looking at measures that will need to be put in place to ensure that the high streets remain safe when the hospitality premises reopen. •The revenues and benefits team continue to provide support to those that need it most through the council tax hardship fund so far,the hardship fund payment has been added to 1180 eligible accounts. Work will continue to identify residents eligible for the payment.•Planning officers have started to undertake site visits this week, the necessary risk assessments have been completed and will be reviewed regularly to ensure officers are safe at all times.
Community support •£37,941.81 worth of community grant funds have been given to local community groups. There is a further£6900 to be approved,if approved the council will have reached £44,841.81 in community grants awarded. •There have been a number of announcements regarding those shielding. The main one being that shielding will pause from 1 August. Effectively these residents are then able to leave their properties, including to go food shopping.After 1 August they will no longer receive national food parcels, but will still be able to sign up for priority supermarket delivery slots. Currently there are 430 residents residing in Tewkesbury Borough within this category,that also receive these free weekly food parcels. Work is being undertaken with district and county colleagues to agree how to support these residents after 1 August. Further guidance is also expected from the Government.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.66 m in grant payments to 1437 businesses. A total of 1659 applications have been received, 174 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •Applications for the discretionary business grant fund closed on Sunday,177 applications were received in total. •The Growth Hub team continue to run webinars to support businesses.
Tuesday 23rd June 2020:
Gloucestershire updates:
Tic+ Chat is launched yesterday – the service is for young people aged between nine and 21 years old who need someone to talk to.
Service reinstatement planning ongoing – awaiting guidance regarding Stage 3 of the government’s recovery strategy (from 4 July) and recommended social distances
Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats
Total Confirmed Cases¹ – 1,382 (1 new)
Cheltenham – 324 (1 new)
Cotswold – 156
Forest of Dean – 117
Gloucester – 404
Stroud – 199
Tewkesbury – 182
Deaths in NHS Trusts² – 226 (0 new)
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 29 May but were registered up to the 6 June³ – 568
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 80 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 222 (0 new)
Friday 19th June 2020:
Gloucestershire updates:
Majority of Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 children are back in primary schools. Some schools will be considering whether they can invite any other year groups into school before the summer break, subject to accommodation and teacher number constraints. This will be a local decision for each school.
Students in Years 10 and 12 in secondary schools, facing exams next year are returning to school in small cohorts.
Deaths in all settings that occurred up to 29 May but were registered up to the 6 June³ – 568
Care home outbreaks⁴ – 80 (0 new)
Deaths in care homes⁵ – 222 (0 new)
News from TBC: Service delivery•The number of council tax reduction applications received continues to increase and now stands at 748 new applications. •The provisions of hotel accommodation for rough sleepers has been extended until the end of July. Unfortunately, across the county 20 rough sleepers have chosen to go back to the streets.•The environmental health team continue to be busy dealing with both service level requests and supporting businesses. The feedback received from businesses has been positive. •The environmental health team continue to support the work being undertaken on the outbreak management plan. •The revenues and benefits team continue to provide support to those that need it most through the council tax hardship fund, so far, the hardship fund payment has been added to 871 eligible accounts. Work will continue over the next few days to identify further residents eligible for the payment.
Community support •The number of calls received by the Help Hub has reduced, around 30 calls a day are received across the county. A member of the community cell will be on standby for any urgent calls received over the weekend. •The team continue to work with those in the community who have experienced issues with the food parcels being delivered through the national scheme, to ensure they have enough food in the short term.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.62 m in grant payments to 1434 businesses. A total of 1655 applications have been received, 172 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •Applications for the discretionary business grant fund closes on Sunday, work continues to reach out to those eligible and further information has also been put on our social media platforms. So far 140 applications have been received.
Wednesday 17th June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery•All Ubico services continue to operate as normal and there has been a noticeable increase in the number of compliments being received in terms of ground maintenance. •Car parking charges will resume on Monday 13 July in all borough owned car parks. A press release was sent yesterday, some slight amendments were made to the wording of the one you have been sent. The most recent version can be found on our website. •A press release has been issued on the council tax hardship fund which has started to be added to the eligible council tax accounts. Members of the revenues and benefits team started this work over the weekend and so far,have applied the discount to over 900 accounts.•The number of council tax reduction applications received now stands at 739 this is around a 31% increase on the normal working age caseload.
Community support •Each district is making sure that they follow up with the volunteers that have come forward through the Help Hub to see if they would like to continue to volunteer. •The team are working with partners to ensure that residents who have been referred through the Help Hub,that continue to need help in the longer term,will have the support available to them. •Measures have been put in place in Bishops Cleeve, Tewkesbury and Winchcombe to help encourage social distancing. Town ambassadors will be in these towns this week between 10am-2pm to provide reassurance and assistance where needed. There has been mainly positive feedback and the measures have been well received by retailers. •Citizens Advice are running a scams awareness fortnight over the next two weeks focusing on scams that have emerged as a result of coronavirus. Information on this has been shared on our social media pages and can be found on the Citizen advice website.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.5 m in grant payments to 1422 businesses. A total of 1648 applications have been received, 174 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •107 claims have been received through the discretionary grant scheme however, a lot of these are not valid claims. There are currently 7 applications approved for payment. Further work is being done to ensure those applying for the scheme have checked the eligibility criteria first and the team are contacting eligible businesses to encourage them to apply before the deadline.•The environmental health team are continuing to visit retail businesses in other parts of the borough and are providing stickers that can be put at two metre intervals to encourage social distancing. Their help and support has been welcomed by businesses.
HMRC Employer Bulletin June 2020, Issue 84:
The Employer Bulletin (June 2020, Issue 84)includes all of the latest Covid-19 updates to help you continue to meet your payroll obligations to HMRC and to claim any relevant grants and rebates during this challenging time. We’ve included the latest update on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, along with updates on the Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme and a reminder for reporting Expenses and Benefits for the tax year ending 5 April 2020.
The Covid-19 Mobile Testing Unit will be at Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stroud from Thursday 18 June to Tuesday 23 June. The site will be open from 10:30am – 3:30pm. There are no concerns in the area, we are just making it as easy as possible for people to access a test. Book a test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.
We are supporting the Government’s Safer Transport campaign on social media, sharing the latest guidance about how to travel safely on public transport, and encouraging walking or cycling as an alternative.
Stats
Total UK Tests – 6,772,602
Total UK Cases – 295,889
Total UK Deaths – 41,698
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 7,881
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,380
Total Confirmed Cases in
Cheltenham – 323
Cotswold – 156
Forest of Dean – 117
Gloucester – 403
Stroud – 199
Tewkesbury – 182
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire NHS Trusts** – 226
COVID-19 deaths in Gloucestershire that occurred up to 29 May but were registered up to the 6 June*** – 568
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire NHS Trusts** – 226
Covid-19 deaths in Gloucestershire that occurred up to 22 May but were registered up to the 30 May*** – 568
News from TBC: Service delivery•Lots of work has taken place to ensure the high streets are ready to enable social distancing when non-essential retail shops open on Monday. Council officers will work over the weekend to put measures in place in Bishops Cleeve, Tewkesbury and Winchcombe high streets. Markers will also be put in other areas where there are parades of shops. A press release has been issued outlining the work being undertaken. •The environmental health team continue to see a 60% increase in the number of service requests received.
Community support – TBC are aware that some members of the community are wary about going into towns. TBC want people to have as much confidence as possible when visiting the towns, so to provide additional support ambassadors will be in the high streets in Bishops Cleeve, Tewkesbury and Winchcombe from Monday 15 June to Saturday 20 June between 11am-3pm, to provide reassurance and, where necessary, to remind people to maintain social distancing. The ambassadors include volunteers from the council and county council library staff, all ambassadors will be provided with the necessary protective equipment.•The Help Hub continue to see a levelling out in the number of new referrals, as a result the team has been reduced but a plan is in place to increase this again if needed.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.38 m in grant payments to 1410 businesses. A total of 1641 applications have been received, 163 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •74 applications for the discretionary business grant fund have been received. •The environmental health team continue to provide support to businesses as they start to look to open. Further information has been put on our website along with risk assessments. The option of delivering webinars to businesses through the growth hub is being explored.
Wednesday 10th June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery•The revenues and benefits team are continuing to see an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications being received and have now seen an increase of 678 applications. This is a 30% increase on their normal case load. •Hotel accommodation for rough sleepers has been extended until the end of July. Unfortunately, 19 rough sleepers have returned to the streets, but a complex cases cell has been established to support those leaving the hotels to find permanent accommodation. •Housing officers have seen a 100% increase in demand for temporary or emergency accommodation, when compared with the same time last year.A press release has been issued appealing to landlords to take advantage of the Home seeker Plus private lettings scheme. Further promotion will be done on the scheme over the coming weeks. •Following a meeting yesterday with the HSE around the reopening of businesses, it has become apparent that the environmental health team will be required to do spot checks of businesses for compliance with social distancing. A positive response has been received on the advice and support currently being provided to businesses and the team will continue with this approach. •The environmental health team have also seen an increase in service requests with 200 additional requests being received.
Community support •29 community grants have been awarded, totalling £34,941.81. There are four more live grants to be determined totalling an additional £5,000. Further work has been done on our social media pages to promote the grants. •The number of cases coming through the Help Hub are reducing, key pieces of work are now taking place around the complex cases and ensuring they continue to receive support moving forward.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.32 m in grant payments to 1406 businesses. A total of 1634 applications have been received, 158 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •A press release was sent on Monday outlining the help and advice we are able to give to businesses that are looking to open on Monday, 15 June. •Applications are now live for the discretionary business grant fund, a joint press release was issued yesterday, this has been shared on our website and social media pages. Further promotion of the grant fund will be done before it closes on 21 June. 33 applications have been received
Monday 8th June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery – All Ubico services are running as normal, we shared a post on social media about a little boy from Winchcombe who has been leaving biscuits for the bin men during lock down. We arranged for some gifts to be delivered to him last week. The post has been picked up by people as far away as Canada! •Both Tewkesbury market and Southam car boot took place this weekend and were monitored. Both had good measures in place for social distancing and the environmental health officers discussed some further improvements with the car boot management team.• The revenues and benefits team are continuing to see an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications being received and have now seen an increase of 673 applications. •The environmental health team are now reducing business closure visits to only those still required to be closed after 15 June. More monitoring will need to be done as businesses open to ensure safe distancing is in place and they are operating well.
Community support •29 community grants have been awarded, totalling £34,941.81. There are four more live grants to be determined totalling an additional £4,000. Further work has been done on our social media pages to promote the grants. •In September 2020 an awards ceremony is due to be held at Gloucestershire University to celebrate the charity and volunteer groups across the county. Nominees can be anyone from individuals, to volunteer led groups and charities.Nominations can be made on the dedicated website,the closing date for nominations is 31 July.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.18 m in grant payments to 1393 businesses. A total of 1636 applications have been received, 173 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •Businesses in Tewkesbury, Winchcombe and Bishops Cleeve were contacted by email on Friday with advice and offers of support to safely open businesses on 15 June.All other areas have been emailed today.
Reopening Tewkesbury Borough’s retail businesses:
As many non-essential retail stores prepare to open their doors next week, Tewkesbury Borough Council is on hand to support local businesses with preparations to reopen safely.
Following the government’s announcement that all retail stores can reopen on Monday 15 June, the council’s environmental health officers and the business Growth Hub are providing tailored advice and support to help businesses meet their Covid-19 responsibilities.
The council would like to hear from owners of businesses in the borough who are preparing to reopen next week. Those who complete this short survey will be helping council officers to better understand which businesses are reopening and what they need, so that they can be offered tailored advice.
Councillor Rob Bird, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council said: “We want to support business owners in their efforts to reopen in a way that helps keep employees and customers as safe as is practically possible. What we’re doing in time for 15 June is just the beginning – we will continue to work with businesses to assess the measures they put in place and will provide the support and advice needed, with the aim of getting our local economy moving again safely.”
· More than 190,000 copies of a new Covid-19 leaflet have being delivered to homes in the county so far with distribution continuing next week. You can also find a copy of the leaflet to download and an accessible webpage here
Stats
Total UK Tests – 4,786,219
Total UK Cases – 279,856
Total UK Deaths – 39,728
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 7,744
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,376
Total Confirmed Cases in
Cheltenham – 322
Cotswold – 156
Forest of Dean – 115
Gloucester – 403
Stroud – 198
Tewkesbury – 182
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire NHS Trusts** – 225
COVID-19 deaths in Gloucestershire that occurred up to 15th May but were registered up to the 30th May*** – 554
News from TBC: Service delivery•This week is volunteer week,a thank you video has been created by the county council from all Leaders,to thank volunteer groups across the county. This has been shared on our social media pages and has received a positive response. •An upgrade on the Northgate system was expected to enable the Council Tax Hardship Fund to be added to the relevant accounts however, this has not been forthcoming and so the team are now working on a manual process to offer this. •The revenues and benefits team are continuing to see an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications being received and have now seen an increase of 658 applications. •The environmental health team are now reducing business closure visits to only those still required to be closed after 15 June. More monitoring will need to be done as businesses open to ensure safe distancing is in place and they are operating well.•Work is taking place with Public Health Gloucestershire to put plans in place for emergency control for localised outbreaks of Covid-19. •The car boot at Southam will be opening this weekend on Saturday and Sunday. Environmental health officers will be monitoring social distancing.
Community support •Shielding vulnerable cohort is being looked at nationally the week beginning 15 June, and will give an indication on whether they will need to continue to shield after the end of June and whether food parcels will continue to be delivered into July. •The Help Hub will only be staffed Monday –Saturday due to the reduced numbers of calls being received. The Hub is concentrating on the most complex cases who still require assistance, as well as residents having issues with food parcel deliveries.•29 community grants have been awarded, totalling £34,941.81. There are four more live grants to be determined totalling an additional £4,000. Further work has been done on our social media pages to promote the grants. •In September 2020 an awards ceremony is due to be held at Gloucestershire University to celebrate the charity and volunteer groups across the county. Nominees can be anyone from individuals, to volunteer led groups and charities.Nominations can be made on the dedicated website,the closing date for nominations is 31 July.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £16.13 m in grant payments to 1388 businesses. A total of 1629 applications have been received, 187 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •Communications has been sent to businesses directly offering assistance on opening safely.•The discretionary business grants applications will be launched early next week. The website will be updated with this information and once live the application form will be available on the website.
Wednesday 3rd June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery – Information was circulated yesterday giving details of £84k which can be used to develop local marketing campaigns to explain changes to the high street and reassure the public that their high streets and other commercial areas are safe. For clarity, this is funding for the council to use to make the high streets safe for members of the public and there are strict rules around what this can be spent on. •Homeseeker Plus, the housing register for Gloucestershire districts and West Oxfordshire, is reopening this week as our local authority and housing association colleagues work to get people moving again. New adverts have already started to be released for applicants to apply for but there may still be some delays as all parties get used to new ways of working around letting properties. •Due to the hot weather we have been experiencing recently, Severn Trent Water have seen a 20% increase in demand for water increasing to 40% in some areas. This has caused issues in meeting the demand as water is being used quicker than it can be pumped into the system. We will continue to share messages from Severn Trent on our social media pages,encouraging residents to be mindful of the amount of water they are using. •Work is being undertaken on our recovery plan and a report will be taken to Executive Committee on 10 June setting out the principles of the plan.The detailed recovery plan will be taken to a future Executive Committee. •Some maintenance work has been undertaken at Tewkesbury Leisure Centre whilst it has been shut. Yesterday evening, there was a small fire in the skip outside. This was extinguished quickly and no damage was caused to any of the buildings. The skip will be removed today. The environmental health team continue to see an increase in the number of noise and bonfire complaints being received. Some of the complaints relate to noise that would not normally be logged as nuisance noise. Further work will be done promoting being a good neighbour but also being tolerant too. •The revenues and benefits team are continuing to see an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications being received and have now seen an increase of 653 applications. It is reported that across the county there has been an 80% increase in the number of council tax reduction applications received.
Community support •New national shielding advice has been received,this will be worked through to see what the main changes are. •It has become apparent that GPs are removing people from the food delivery list but not informing them this is being investigated.•The majority of calls received through the Help Hub are around food parcels which the team are now focusing on, those contacting the Help Hub are also being referred to community groups to provide any additional support needed
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.995 m in grant payments to 1376 businesses. A total of 1622 applications have been received, 187 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria.
Tuesday 2nd June 2020:
Gloucestershire updates
New regional COVID-19 testing centre to operate at Hempsted Meadow in Gloucester from 5 June. The NHS website has more info on how and when to get a test.
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire NHS Trusts** – 225
COVID-19 deaths in Gloucestershire that occurred up to 15th May but were registered up to the 23rd May*** – 533
Monday 1st June 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery•Work has taken place in Tewkesbury High Street to enable social distancing in preparation for when non-essential shops start to open on 15 June. A working task group has been formed to look to introduce measures across the borough. •Environmental health officers were active again over the weekend and while most business are still compliant there is a move towards more people being out and about and not always observing social distancing.•From today, outdoor markets and car showrooms (including showrooms for the sale or hire of caravans, boats and any other motorised vehicle) can open. Further advice and guidance has been put on the Covid-19 micro site for those businesses looking to open. All the necessary risk assessments are being completed ready for Tewkesbury market reopening from Wednesday, 3 June,measures will be put in place to manage social distancing. •All Ubico services continue to function as normal, further promotion of the garden waste club will be done this week.
Community support •The new NHS Test and Trace service launched on Thursday 28 May across England. A test and trace page has been created on the covid-19 micro site containing information on how the system will work and links to NHS help and advice guides. •45 emergency community grants have been submitted a total of £36,941.87 has been paid to community groups. This week is volunteer week and we will continue to promote the community grants and the good work being done by community groups across the borough through the website and our social media pages.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.8 m in grant payments to 1361 businesses. A total of 1607 applications have been received, 184 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria.
Friday 29th May 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery •The hotel provision in Cheltenham and Gloucester for rough sleepers is being extended as the team move into phase two to ensure that rough sleepers do not end up back on the streets. Registered providers are being engaged throughout this process to identify ways in which they can help. •From 1 June car show rooms and outdoor markets are able to open and from 15 June all non-essential retail can open. Pubs, clubs, leisure and hospitality will remain closed. The environmental health team are working hard to help businesses ensure they are ready to open. Further advice and guidance has been put on the Covid-19 micro site.•As non-essential shops are permitted to open from 15 June we expect to see more people visiting towns. Work is taking place, in partnership with the County Council, around how to enable social distancing in towns and how to keep our communities safe. Customer services have seen an increase in calls asking when Tewkesbury market would be back up and running. All the necessary risk assessments are being completed ready for the market reopening from Wednesday, 3 June measures will be put in place to manage social distancing. •As expected with residents continuing to spend more time at home the environmental health team are receiving an increased number of noise and bonfire complaints. Further work will be done on social media around being a good neighbour. •All Ubico services are running as normal and all household recycling centres are open, these are also now able to take asbestos again.
Community support •This weekend the Help Hub will continue to field calls through the out of hours service, supported by the community cell. •The Long Table meal delivery service is now scaling back its offering due to a reduction in demand.•Work is taking place across the county to ensure testing is available to those unable to access the testing sites.
Business support•The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.8 m in grant payments to 1361 businesses. A total of 1607 applications have been received, 184 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. •The discretionary grant will launch in the 2nd week of June.There are limited areas of discretion as the grant is heavily criteria based.Full details will be on our website in advance of the launch
Update on the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme from HMRC:
Flexible furloughing
From 1 July 2020, you’ll have the flexibility to bring previously furloughed employees back to work part-time – with the government continuing to pay 80% of wages for any of their normal hours they do not work up until the end of August. This flexibility comes a month earlier than previously announced to help people get back to work.
You can decide the hours and shift patterns that your employees will work on their return and you will be responsible for paying their wages in full while working. This means that employees can work as much or as little as your business needs, with no minimum time that you can furlough staff for.
Any working hours arrangement that you agree with your employee must cover at least one week and be confirmed to the employee in writing. When claiming the CJRS grant for furloughed hours, you will need to report and claim for a minimum period of a week. You can choose to make claims for longer periods such as on monthly or two weekly cycles if you prefer. You will be required to submit data on the usual hours an employee would be expected to work in a claim period and actual hours worked.
If your employees are unable to return to work, or you do not have work for them to do, they can remain on furlough and you can continue to claim the grant for their full hours under the existing rules.
Employer contributions
From August, the government grant provided through the job retention scheme will be slowly tapered.
in June and July, the government will pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 as well as employer National Insurance (ER NICs) and pension contributions for the hours the employee doesn’t work – employers will have to pay employees for the hours they work
in August, the government will continue to pay 80% of wages up to a cap of £2,500 but employers will pay ER NICs and pension contributions – for the average claim, this represents 5% of the gross employment costs that they would have incurred if the employee had not been furloughed
in September, the government will pay 70% of wages up to a cap of £2,187.50 for the hours the employee does not work – employers will pay ER NICs, pension contributions and 10% of wages to make up 80% of the total up to a cap of £2,500
in October, the government will pay 60% of wages up to a cap of £1,875 for the hours the employee does not work – employers will pay ER NICs, pension contributions and 20% of wages to make up 80% of the total up to a cap of £2,500
the cap on the furlough grant will be proportional to the hours not worked.
If you are a smaller employer, some or all of your employer NIC bills will be covered by the Employment Allowance, so you should not be significantly impacted by that part of the tapering of the government contribution.
Around a quarter of CJRS monthly claims relate to wages that are below the threshold where employer NICs and auto enrolment contributions are due, and so no employer contribution will be required for these furloughed employees in August.
Important dates
It’s important to note that the scheme will close to new entrants from 30 June. From this point onwards, you will only be able to furlough employees that you have furloughed for a full three-week period prior to 30 June.
This means that the final date that you can furlough an employee for the first time will be 10 June for the current three-week furlough period to be completed by 30 June. Employers will have until 31 July to make any claims in respect of the period to 30 June.
Guidance and support
Further support for employers and agents on how to calculate claims with this extra flexibility will be available by 12 June, including webinars and detailed online guidance. For information about how to claim, go to GOV.UK and search ‘Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme’. Please do not call us for more information, everything you need to know about this scheme will be published online on GOV.UK.
Protect yourself from scams
Stay vigilant about scams, which may mimic government messages as a way of appearing authentic and unthreatening. Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact. You can also forward suspicious emails claiming to be from HMRC to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk and texts to 60599.
I hope this information helps and supports your business, and we’ll continue to keep you updated on scheme developments over the coming weeks.
Wednesday 27th May 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery – There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team has seen an increase of 607 applications. We continue to promote key national and local messages on our social media pages as well as any changes to our services;these have been well received and have seen our social media following steadily increase. Key information for residents and businesses relating to the pandemic is available on the council’s Covid-19 micro site. This has had just under 2500 views during May alone. The most visited pages include the Business advice and support and Business rate relief and grants pages. Since the garden waste service suspension was lifted on 4 May 1289 sticker licenses have been purchased. The bulky waste collection service resumed on 11 May and has seen 222 collections booked.
Community support – 40 emergency community grants have been submitted. There are nine live applications, which once approved to be paid are worth another £8000, making a total of £33,941.81.The Covid-19 help and support leaflet will start to be distributed across the county this week. There has been a further extension to the mobile testing facility at Oxstalls; it is likely this will now remain there into June.
Business support – The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.8 m in grant payments to 1361 businesses. A total of 1607 applications have been received, 184 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 28 applications requiring further validation -these are more complicated and the team is working hard to deal with these. As the government have said currently there is no cut off for the grants to be paid,the business cell are trying to get 100% paid and are doing everything they can to contact hard to reach businesses.The business cell, in collaboration with Stroud District Council, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council have issued a press release regarding the Discretionary Business Grants. This has been published on our website and shared on social media. The release is advisory at this stage and it is believed that further information will be made available mid-June.
The Mobile Testing Unit will be staying in Gloucester, at the Oxstalls Tennis Centre until Sunday 31 May. This is delivered by the military under the Department for Health and Social Care Pillar 2 scheme.
‘Every Rainbow Drawn’ is an original song written and performed by young people across Gloucestershire. It’s a way of saying ‘thank you’ to doctors, nurses, supermarket workers and teachers and to raise money for Cheltenham and Gloucester Hospitals Charity. The entire piece was written, performed and recorded by the children and young people you see in the video, with a bit of production help from The Music Works.
Whilst there continues to be lots to do related to Covid-19, the volume of information and daily updates to be shared has slowed. To take account of this change and the need to use available officer time in the most effective way, we will from next week be reducing the frequency of these updates to twice a week – Tuesday and a Friday.
You can still access information via the county council’s, Gov.uk and NHS websites and if there are important update to make you aware of, we will of course do so, regardless of the day.
The Mobile Testing Unit will be staying in Gloucester, at the Oxstalls Tennis Centre until Sunday 31 May. This is delivered by the military under the Department for Health and Social Care Pillar 2 scheme.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 3,090,566
Total UK Cases – 250,908
Total UK Deaths – 36,042
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 7,422
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,354
Total Confirmed Cases in
Cheltenham – 318
Cotswold – 154
Forest of Dean – 109
Gloucester – 398
Stroud – 195
Tewkesbury – 180
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 220
News from TBC: Service delivery – Environmental health officers are still providing support to businesses looking to re-open and will be continuing to checking business compliance this weekend. The work to discourage use of play equipment in the borough has seen a reduction in reported incidents. The Mitton skate park continues to be of concern and will be monitored closely over the bank holiday weekend. There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team has 600 applications currently; an increase of some 25% over normal levels. Talks have begun in regards to restarting the Home Seekers service.
Community support – 40 emergency community grants have been submitted. There are nine live applications, which once approved to be paid are worth another £8000, making a total of £33,941.81. The community team have been working closely with the county council to improve the data for food parcel deliveries. The changes will limit mistakes and ensure the packages get to the vulnerable and in need swiftly and efficiently. The Help Hub will be operating slightly differently this weekend with calls being dealt with by the out of hour’s service. Only emergency food package drops will be made. A survey of the volunteer network is ongoing in order to establish current availability and capacity. New resources are becoming available to support community and individual well being. More information as to what is forthcoming will be made available shortly. HSE have advised that they will not be involved in the re-opening of town centres.
Business support – As of Friday 22 May,we have paid out £40k (4 claims) taking the total to £15,665,000 payments made and 1349 claims. We have 32 applications requiring further validation and 177 currently refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. 14 are now complete (applicant has accepted they are not eligible) and 20 have declined the grant so this brings the total applications to 1592. 28 businesses have appealed against the refusal of a business grant. These are being reviewed on a case by case basis. The business cell, in collaboration with Stroud District Council, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council have issued a press release regarding the Discretionary Business Grants. The release is advisory at this stage and it is believed that further information will be made available mid-June
Joint grant scheme launches soon to support local businesses
In collaboration between four local councils – with support and advice from local BIDS and GFirstLep – the county will soon see the launch of a new business support grant funding scheme. The grants are designed to offer support to some local businesses which were not eligible for previous funds.
Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury and Stroud councils are working together to create a scheme to ensure effective and fair distribution of discretionary grant funding and are looking to launch the scheme in as little as 3 weeks. A detailed scheme of this scale would usually take up to 6 months to implement. The partnership is drawing upon advice from the local BIDs (business improvement districts) and LEP (local enterprise partnerships), an approach recommended by BEIS (Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy).
The partnership is in direct response to the recent government announcement that, due to COVID-19, there would be an additional discretionary fund aimed at small businesses who were not eligible for the Small Business grant fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality grant fund. The councils will be applying the criteria for eligibility as laid down by the government but will also, where government funding allows, look to support some additional businesses within the discretional element.
The announcement of the partnership builds on the significant rapid support to local businesses over the past few weeks, with the four councils collectively paying out £79.5m in grants to 6,722 businesses.
The authorities’ chief finance officers agreed: “’We want to ensure a consistent approach for businesses across our region so that they have clarity and certainty that this money will go to where it is needed most, in line with the guidance provided to us. We are united in our view that businesses deserve a scheme that is straightforward, transparent and supports the economy across our districts.’’
David Owen, chief executive at GFirst LEP commented: “The discretionary fund from central government is to be welcomed, it will certainly help a number of businesses who we know were ineligible for various grant schemes previously announced. We are fully supportive of a joined up, countywide approach to this fund, thereby ensuring businesses across the county are treated equally.’’
The BEIS government guidance states: ‘’Local authorities may wish to consider collaborating as they design their discretionary schemes to ensure there is consistency where they are working across a functional economic area and may want to engage with MCAs and LEPs to ensure alignment and reduce duplication with other local discretionary business grants that may have been established.’’
The council’s new mental health service for children and young people, Kooth, will officially launch after the bank holiday weekend on Tuesday 25 May.
2 million pieces of PPE have been distributed within Gloucester, with 1.3 million pieces to providers.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 2,962,227
Total UK Cases – 248,293
Total UK Deaths – 35,704
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 7,370
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,354
Total Confirmed Cases in:
Cheltenham – 318
Cotswold – 154
Forest of Dean – 109
Gloucester – 398
Stroud – 195
Tewkesbury – 180
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 220
Wednesday 20th May 2020:
Gloucestershire updates
We are holding a Virtual Sports Day for children and young people on Thursday 26 May. Please encourage your local communities to get involved in this fun challenge aiming to raise money for the NHS. More information is on our website.
· Charlotte Jones, head of services for children with additional needs, spoke to BBC Radio Gloucestershire this morning about reopening schools:
Charlotte explained we’ve been working closely with headteachers over the past two months. Schools are already supporting over 3000 children of essential workers, enabling them to continue working and we are looking to help them expand the good work they already doing, in a safe way.
It’s important to remember it’s about widening the school offer and is tying in with the whole plan for easing lockdown. We are planning for 1 June but this will rely on scientific evidence and if the government’s five tests been met. This is the earliest phase, if 1 June goes ahead it’s important schools have as much time as possible to plan for reopening.
The decision to increase numbers is very much an individual decision for local school leaders – heads know their own schools, parents and staff best. They will be taking all of this into account when planning for more children – including requests from parents, size of buildings, and access to staff.
Government guidance prioritises children who will best benefit from the school environment, and plans will depend on classroom capacity, number of children. This means schools will look very different.
News from TBC: Service delivery-Environmental health officers are continuing to provide support for businesses looking to re-open. There have been instances where play equipment at parks is being used despite signs stating that play areas remain closed. The park at the Vineyards has been locked due to the number of people using the equipment. Further messaging has been put on social media around this and the Police are regularly checking these areas. There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team has seen an increase of 592 applications. The first virtual planning committee meeting was successfully held yesterday, with 48 people viewing it on the council’s YouTube channel.
Community support – 38 emergency community grants have been submitted. There are seven live applications,which once approved to be paid are worth another£6000, making a total of £31,941.81. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. There continues to be issues with national food parcels being delivered to the wrong addresses, the team are providing support to resolve these issues and ensure residents receive food.New guidance has been issued for data collection for the Shielding Vulnerable cohort and the community cell are working through this. The number of calls being received by the help hub continues to tail off however, it is anticipated that the help hub will remain operational until at least September. The mobile testing facility will remain at Oxstalls until Tuesday, 26 May. Work is being undertaken to find a location for a further permanent testing site.
Business support – The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.55 m in grant payments to 1339 businesses. A total of 1581 applications have been received, 173 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 36 applications requiring further validation -these are more complicated and the team is working hard to deal with these. The business cell is working with Stroud District Council, Gloucester City Council and Cheltenham Borough Council to provide a consistent approach to the Discretionary Business Grants. Once they have worked up the scheme information will be on the website for business.
The Ashchurch bridge project – we want your feedback!
Engineers, council officers and highways experts are asking for thoughts from residents about a project to build a new bridge between Ashchurch and Northway.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government awarded Tewkesbury Borough Council £8.1m to deliver a bridge that will unlock parcels of land to the east of the railway line which are highlighted in the Garden Town Concept Masterplan (along with land to the west of the railway) as development opportunities. It will include a new road, cycle path and walkway.
Tewkesbury Borough Council and its partners – Gloucestershire County Council and engineering consultants, Atkins – have carried out a considerable amount of research into the location and design of the bridge and now they want to hear what the public thinks of the proposals. Comments received will be considered in advance of the bridge’s planning application and will help to inform the project team’s next steps.
There will be a more formal opportunity to submit further views later in the year, as part of the official planning application consultation.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s lead member for planning, Councillor Mel Gore, said: “The Tewkesbury Garden Town project gives us a golden opportunity to create a special place for people to live – a proper community with homes fit for the future. This bridge is one of the first steps in the infrastructure needed to support the Garden Town and it’s exciting to get the ball rolling.
“We had planned to hold two events: one in Northway and one in Ashchurch, where the proposals on the bridge would have been displayed, and where we would have provided the opportunity to discuss the project with members of the Garden Town team. However, due to the current restrictions on public gatherings, we need to do things differently.
“Our website – tewkesburygardentown.co.uk – is complete with all the information that is publically available on the bridge project. It includes the drawings, proposed location, and background information that would have been provided at the events. If you have any views to share with us, we ask that you take a look at the website, examine the drawings, read through the background information and then submit your feedback to us using the online form.
“We want to hear from anyone and everyone who is interested in the area – particularly the younger generation who will be our future residents – as well as members of the local community, business owners and workers.”
A letter has been sent to residents in the Ashchurch and Northway areas to outline the project with local people, provide details on where to find more information about the bridge and appeal for feedback on the proposals.
The council is welcoming feedback up until Friday, 12 June 2020.
176 people were tested yesterday at the Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) in Gloucester. The MTU will be staying in Gloucestershire, at the Oxstalls Tennis Centre, until Thursday 21 May. This is delivered by the military under the Department for Health and Social Care Pillar 2 scheme.
News from TBC: Service delivery – All Ubico services running as normal, crews saw a huge increase in the amount of garden waste presented for collection and have worked hard over the last two weeks since the service was reinstated collecting over 800 tonnes, this is easily a month’s worth in 10 days. Bookings for bulky waste collections started to be taken last week and crews are starting to collect items from residents. Our customer service advisers are checking that the household is not self-isolating with symptoms or suspected Covid-19. Environmental health officers were busy across the borough over the weekend and identified some issues due to the relaxation of conditions relating to the use of sports facilities, and dealt with a number of enquiries from local businesses. It’s clear that some parents are seeing that playgrounds should count as sports but this isn’t the case, further work will be done to remind residents that the use of playgrounds is still banned. While garden centres and estate agents can now open, all other retail other than food should still be closed. Not all garden centres and estate agents had decided to open and those that have, have put in clear social distancing measures.
Community support – 38 emergency community grants have been submitted, £20,023 has been paid and a further £11,000 either allocated or to be determined.
Business support – The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.36m in grant payments to 1322 businesses. A total of 1557 applications have been received, 174 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 29 applications requiring further validation -these are more complicated and the team is working hard to deal with these.
Friday 15th May 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery – There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team has seen an increase of 573 applications, additional resource has been sourced to help with the increase in workload. Environmental health officers are working to investigate businesses that have been reported to have broken the regulations. Guidance has been received about the phased return of sports and leisure activities. Sailing and boating are now allowed to resume, which may see an increase in activity on the rivers. Ubico are operating all services as usual, it has been advertised that the ‘grace’ period for garden waste ends today and bins will not be emptied without the 2020/2021 sticker license from Monday
Community support – 38 emergency community grants have been submitted, £20,023 has been paid and a further £11,000 either allocated or to be determined. The mobile testing facility at Oxstalls will remain there until Thursday, 21 May as it is being so well used. It is a relief to find out that following discussions with community groups, people returning to work has not affected the support they are able to provide.An extra 1000 people across the county have been identified as shielding, but have not made contact, the help hub team are working through these to make sure they are ok and have the support needed. The Help Hub will continue to be covered across the weekend.It is likely that shielding will be extended beyond the end of June. 1533 different help requests have been met in the borough through the help hub. Further advice and information will be given to districts on utilising the NHS volunteers.
Business support-The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.23m in grant payments to 1317 businesses. A total of 1559 applications have been received, 177 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 33 applications requiring further validation -these are more complicated and the team is working hard to deal with these. The Growth Hub and Economic Development Team continue to work with LEP, assisting with business survey work to help gain information to support business recovery
Phishing Email Scam Update
Remember you should forward all the suspected phishing emails you receive to this email address report@phishing.gov.uk
Thursday 14th May 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
The Mobile Testing Unit will be provisionally staying in Gloucestershire, at the Oxstalls Tennis Centre, until Thursday 21 May. This is delivered by the military under the Department for Health and Social Care Pillar 2 scheme.
Training which is already available for care home staff is being extended to mental health/ learning disability/physical disability homes. They will also have access to extra training regarding PPE and cleanliness which is being provided by our NHS and CCG partners.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 2,094,209
Total UK Cases – 229,705
Total UK Deaths – 33,186
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 7,155
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,330
Total Confirmed Cases in:
Cheltenham – 317
Cotswold – 151
Forest of Dean – 107
Gloucester – 383
Stroud – 195
Tewkesbury – 177
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 214
Wednesday 13th May 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
Supporting care homes – care home staff have access to extra training regarding PPE and cleanliness which is being provided by our NHS and CCG partners.
Gloucestershire County Council Planning Committee will take place remotely tomorrow, 14 May 2020. Watch live on YouTube from 10am tomorrow – https://youtu.be/HXyVB78jvrw
News from TBC: Service delivery – There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team has seen an increase of 545 applications. New regulations for businesses have been issued this morning, these state that garden centres and estate agents can now open and environmental health officers are working with businesses to ensure they can operate safely. Open-air sports facilities can now open but it has been clarified that outdoor playgrounds should remain shut. This information has been reiterated on social media. The housing team is working hard to reduce the number of people housed in temporary hotel accommodation under emergency Covid-19 powers and finding them more permanent accommodation. It is hoped that the number will be reduced from nine to just two or three this week. Cemeteries in the borough are now open for internment of ashes as well as burials; these will still adhere to social distancing and have minimal numbers attending. Stone masons have also been able to start working in the cemeteries. The reinstatement of all Ubico services has seen an increase in calls to customer services, there have been 58 orders for bulky waste collections this week and 141 garden waste sticker licenses have been ordered.
Engineers, council officers and highways experts are asking for thoughts from residents about a project to build a new bridge between Ashchurch and Northway.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government awarded Tewkesbury Borough Council £8.1m to deliver a bridge that will unlock parcels of land to the east of the railway line which are highlighted in the Garden Town Concept Masterplan (along with land to the west of the railway) as development opportunities. It will include a new road, cycle path and walkway.
Tewkesbury Borough Council and its partners – Gloucestershire County Council and engineering consultants, Atkins – have carried out a considerable amount of research into the location and design of the bridge and now they want to hear what the public thinks of the proposals. Comments received will be considered in advance of the bridge’s planning application and will help to inform the project team’s next steps.
There will be a more formal opportunity to submit further views later in the year, as part of the official planning application consultation.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s lead member for planning, Councillor Mel Gore, said: “The Tewkesbury Garden Town project gives us a golden opportunity to create a special place for people to live – a proper community with homes fit for the future. This bridge is one of the first steps in the infrastructure needed to support the Garden Town and it’s exciting to get the ball rolling.
“We had planned to hold two events: one in Northway and one in Ashchurch, where the proposals on the bridge would have been displayed, and where we would have provided the opportunity to discuss the project with members of the Garden Town team. However, due to the current restrictions on public gatherings, we need to do things differently.
“Our website – tewkesburygardentown.co.uk – is complete with all the information that is publically available on the bridge project. It includes the drawings, proposed location, and background information that would have been provided at the events. If you have any views to share with us, we ask that you take a look at the website, examine the drawings, read through the background information and then submit your feedback to us using the online form.
“We want to hear from anyone and everyone who is interested in the area – particularly the younger generation who will be our future residents – as well as members of the local community, business owners and workers.”
A letter has been sent to residents in the Ashchurch and Northway areas to outline the project with local people, provide details on where to find more information about the bridge and appeal for feedback on the proposals.
The council is welcoming feedback up until Friday, 12 June 2020.
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is reporting lots of COVID RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 2013)reports being received nationally. Only two have been received relating to our borough. Other Gloucestershire councils are receiving more.
Community support – 38 emergency community grants have been awarded, £20,023 has been paid and a further £8,000 is allocated. The mobile testing facility at Oxstalls will remain there until Sunday as it is being so well used. The Government has announced there is money available for charities helping with food deliveries. Community funding groups working together have now awarded over £300k. There has been a noticeable reduction in the number of calls received by the help hub and the team is now concentrating on follow up calls to ensure residents continue to have the support they need. Discussions are taking place with community groups to see how people returning to work will affect their volunteer numbers and the community response.
Business support -The business grants team has now paid out a total of £15.11m in grant payments to 1299 businesses. A total of 1533 applications have been received, 177 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 30 applications requiring further validation -these are more complicated and the team is working hard to deal with these. The Self Employed Income Support Scheme has opened for applications today, the Economic Development and Growth Hub Team will continue to help businesses access the relevant support available.Work is taking place with partners to consider well being support needed for businesses in the county, especially around care homes
Tuesday 12th May 2020:
Gloucestershire updates
We are pleased to announce the mobile Covid-19 testing site based at Oxstalls Tennis Centre in Gloucester will remain open until Sunday 17th May (inclusive) The site is testing on average 170 people a day. It is delivered by the military under the Department for Health and Social Care Pillar 2 testing scheme.
Neighbourhood Watch Week Set To Celebrate Neighbours:
Between 7th – 13th June we are encouraging neighbours to say thank you and celebrate what it means to be a neighbour, the connections we have made, and the importance of staying connected through good and bad times.
To kickstart the week, we are inviting you to take part in The Big Virtual Lunch activities, organised by Eden Project, on the 6th and 7th June. The Big Lunch have put together ideas of small things you can do to celebrate community connections with your neighbours such as making your own bunting and spread some neighbourly joy by hanging it out for all to see, put together a lunch for someone or a small food parcel and leave it on a doorstep, join in with The Big Lunch from your doorstep, raise a cuppa, wave a sausage roll or have a picnic in your own gardens at the same time, host a Big Virtual Lunch online from the comfort of your own home, and ideas to host a Big Virtual Lunch over the phone.
On the 7th June we will be launching a competition to be judged by Tony Husband. Look out for details of that on our website and in email on the 7th June. And each day between the 7th – 13th June we will be sharing stories on our social media channels and website highlighting the big and small ways in which neighbours have been connecting, sharing, supporting and spreading kindness.
Neighbourhood Watch Week this year also marks 35 years since the very first Neighbourhood Watch Week.
Monday 11th May 2020:
News from TBC: Service delivery – All Ubico essential services are operating normally. The bulky waste service has started to take bookings as of today. This was advertised on our social media pages and on our website. Wingmoor farm (Stoke Orchard), Hempstead (Gloucester) and Swindon Road (Cheltenham) household waste & recycling centres (HWRCs) have opened today, with the others in the county under review. The HWRCs are open for essential waste where it cannot be safely stored at home, the Swindon Road site is only open to Cheltenham Borough residents.Social distancing measures are in place at all HWRCs Gloucestershire County Council have published a press release outlining this. There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team have seen an increase of 512 applications, which accounts for over 20% of the average caseload and this number continues to rise. Environmental health officers carried out business closure checks every day over the bank holiday weekend. Most business were compliant however some discussions were held with both car sales companies and garden centres regarding opening- these remained closed with garden centres offering both deliveries and collections observing social distancing. The environmental health team is also ensuring premises are suitably licensed where they are being used by companies for the sale of alcohol, by both collection and delivery. The customer service team continues to authorise proof of life certificates to residents who have overseas pensions, to ensure their payments continue. This has given piece of mind to those residents affected.
Community support – 35 emergency community grants have been awarded. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. The Gloucestershire Help Hub operated across the bank holiday weekend, and members of the community cell ensured this was covered.
Business support – The business grants team has now paid out a total of £14.92m in grant payments to 1281 businesses. A total of 1512 applications have been received, 176 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 30 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these
· Gloucestershire’s Temporary Highway Inspection and Maintenance Regime policy has been updated. Walked inspections have been reintroduced as this can be carried out within the PHE guidelines. Read more here.
· Thank you to those who submitted questions for today’s Live Q&A. We tried to respond to as many as possible and the FAQs page on our website will be updated shortly to answer any questions the panel was unable to get to.
An update on Care Home cases of Covid-19 in Gloucestershire can be found below in the ‘Your Questions Answered’ section. Please read the narrative and caveats regarding data at the bottom of the bulletin carefully. If you have any questions please let us know.
Members of the public can put their Covid-19 questions to a panel of Gloucestershire County Council leaders:
Sarah Scott, Gloucestershire’s director of public health
Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council
Pete Bungard, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council .
The Q&A session will take place on Thursday 7 May on our YouTube channel starting at 11.15am lasting for an hour.
It will begin with a short presentation responding to the pre-submitted questions and following this, people will have the chance to ask further questions.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 1,383,842
Total UK Cases – 194,990
Total UK Deaths – 29,427
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 6,657
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,267
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 199
News from TBC: Please note: Due to the bank holiday there will be no bulletin on Friday, 8 May.
Service delivery – Ubico waste collection services are operating as normal and bookings for bulky waste collections will start to be taken from Monday, 11 May. In order to protect the staff, Ubico will not collect bulky items from properties where there may be symptoms of Covid-19 and those households will be asked to re-book when the household is symptom free. The garden waste service resumed this week and crews are working really hard to maintain the service with a huge increase in the amount of garden waste to be collected. Despite it being a bank holiday on Friday, scheduled bin collections will continue to take place over the weekend. The option of using ad vans to promote the stay at home message over the bank holiday weekend is being explored by the Police. Officers will decide whether this will be beneficial in the borough. There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications. The team have seen an increase of 501 applications, which accounts for 21% of the average caseload and this number continues to rise. As the number of tests for Covid-19 increases, partners are working to identify suitable mobile testing sites across the county. A press release has been sent by Gloucestershire County Council around this.
Community support – 31 emergency community grants have been awarded. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. Those on the shielding list have been advised to stay at home until the end of June. Due to the low numbers of calls received over the weekends, a decision will be made as to whether the Help Hub needs to continue to operate seven days a week. Following reports that the national food parcels had not been delivered to a few residents the community cell are now collecting names of these residents and are working with the NHS shielding the vulnerable team to help resolve this.
Business support – The business grants team have now paid out a total of £14.52m in grant payments to 1245 businesses. A total of 1472 applications have been received, 164 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 51 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. The business cell continues to work on engaging those businesses identified as eligible, but which remain hard to contact. This work includes using the Government Toolkit to promote the grants through Comms and social media.On Friday, BEIS announced that there would be an expanded Small Business Grant Scheme: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/top-up-to-local-business-grant-funds-schemeIt is a discretionary fund set up to accommodate certain small businesses previously outside the scope of the business grant funds scheme. We are still awaiting further information on the scheme and once this is received, a proposal and process will be developed which reflects local economic intelligence. The website has been updated with a holding statement until the information is received. Tewkesbury Growth Hub continues to work with local businesses seeking wider business support, including delivery of 1-2-1 advice sessions and online support webinars.
In Gloucestershire, we have a local service managed by our NHS Trusts that is for health and social care workers.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 1,291,591
Total UK Cases – 190,584
Total UK Deaths – 28,734
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 6,571
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,243
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 194
Monday 4th May 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
Work is continuing with education teams to understand what needs to happen in order to to re-open schools, in preparation for any changes to government guidance.
· Public Q&A session on Covid-19 – Members of the public can put their Covid-19 questions to a panel of Gloucestershire County Council leaders:
o Sarah Scott, Gloucestershire’s director of public health
o Cllr Mark Hawthorne, leader of Gloucestershire County Council
o Pete Bungard, chief executive of Gloucestershire County Council .
· The Q&A session will take place on Thursday 7 May on our YouTube channel starting at 11.15am lasting for an hour.
· It will begin with a short presentation responding to the pre-submitted questions and following this, people will have the chance to ask further questions.
· If you have a question you would like to put to the panel, it needs to be emailed to DemocraticServices@gloucestershire.gov.uk by 2pm on Tuesday 5 May. It can be about anything relating to coronavirus.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 1,206,405
Total UK Cases – 186,599
Total UK Deaths – 28,446
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 6,489
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,231
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 194
News from TBC: Service delivery – Ubico services are operating normally and the garden waste service resumed today. Garden waste customers have been notified through letters and emails. A press release has also been sent, this has been publicised on our website and social media.All is going well although there are significantly elevated amounts of garden waste being presented.Testing continues to progress well for virtual committee meetings. We will provide further information when a solution is in place. We will show our support for the VE Day anniversary by sharing ideas from the official VE Day 75 social media pages, on different ways to celebrate in line with current guidance. Further information on the events taking place on VE Day has been attached for your information.
Community support – 28 emergency community grants have been awarded totalling £19,311. A press release has been sent outlining the good work community groups have been doing throughout the pandemic. This has been put on our website and social media pages. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. Here is the link to the application page on our microsite. NHS Vulnerable people helpline is now operating
Business support – The business grants team have now paid out a total of £14.07m in grant payments to 1205 businesses. A total of 1432 applications have been received, 157 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 58 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. Further work is being done by the team to promote the grant and reach businesses who may be eligible but have not yet applied.The government has announced support for businesses that are not eligible for the current business grant scheme; this is in the form of the discretionary fund. It is expected that we will receive a letter this week giving further details and will then look to open applications as soon as possible. The website has been updated with a holding statement until the information is received.
The Royal British Legion calls on the nation to mark the 75thAnniversary of VE Day from home
The Royal British Legion has announced a programme of activities to mark the 75th Anniversary of VE Day on Friday 8th May 2020. No longer able to attend the planned VE Day 75 events, the Royal British Legion is calling on the nation to get involved from the safety of their homes in a programme of events to pay tribute to the entire Second World War generation from British, Commonwealth and Allied Forces,to evacuees and those who served on the home front.Members of the public can access the proposed activities at www.rbl.org.uk/veday75 and on social media using #VEDay75 and #VEDay75Live during the live stream. Activities include a VE Day 75 live stream, national moments of Remembrance and thanksgiving,and activity packs for individuals and families.At 11am the Legion is encouraging people across all generations and communities to take part in a national moment of Remembrance and pause fora Two Minute Silence to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation,and also take the opportunity to reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.Following the Silence,the Legion is hosting a VE Day75livestream, sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War,and recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today. Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the programme will feature contributions from social historian Julie Summers and cook and influencer Melissa Helmsley. The programme will be live from 11.15 am on the Royal British Legion website. Later in the day,the Legion has partnered with the BBC to honour and celebrate the Second World War generation with an evening of memories and music from 8pm on BBC One. Members of the public are invited to enjoy a moment of celebration and thanksgiving during the programme by taking part in a UK-wide rendition of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ at 9pm. Alongside these events on 8th May 2020, The Royal British Legion has developed a VE Day learning pack which is available online. Designed for 7-14 year olds, the pack includes first-hand accounts from the Second World War generation, veteran interviews and range of activities to allow families to explore and commemorate VE Day together.The Royal British Legion’s Assistant Director of Commemorative Events, Bob Gamble OBE, has said: “As we face some of the most challenging times since the Second World War, now more than ever it is important to unite in recognition of people’s service to the nation, just as communities did 75 years ago. “There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence at 11 am, some people may wish to stand at their windows or step outside their front door,but we hope that individuals and families across the UK will embrace the opportunity to share in a national moment reflection. Later on we will invite people to open their windows wide and join us to celebrate and give thanks as we singalong to Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime classic,‘We’ll Meet Again’, which has added poignancy in the current circumstances.“There are many parallels between the struggles of the Second World War and what we are going through today. As we mark 75 years since Victory in Europe,we look to our Second World War generation to learn from their experiences, and the Legion continues our critical work to protect them from the threat we currently face.”Royal British Legion Schedule:(Additional activity will be announced by the Government) 1100-1102 –Two Minute Silence 1115-1200 –The Royal British Legion VE75 Livestream 2000-2110 –VE Day 75: The People’s Celebration, BBC One 2100 –‘We’ll Meet Again’ Singalong Guidance on Two Minute Silence Members of the public are being encouraged to take part in a national moment of Remembrance at 11am during a Two Minute Silence to honour the service and sacrifice of the Second World War generation and reflect on the devastating impact Covid-19 has had on so many lives across the world.There is no right or wrong way to take part in the Silence, some may wish to stand at their windows, step outside their homes while remaining distanced from others, watch the broadcast on television, or simply sit in a quiet moment of reflection.Royal British Legion LivestreamAt 1115 the Legion is hosting a VE Day 75 livestream, available at page rbl.org.uk/veday75sharing stories and memories from those who served and sacrificed during the Second World War, and recognising the difficulties people are experiencing today. The Legion is inviting members of the public to grab a cup of tea and join us for the livestream as we bring the World War Two generation together with today’s generation to chat about their shared experiences. Hosted by TV presenter Sonali Shah, the programme will feature contributions from social historian Julie Summers and cook and influencer Melissa Helmsley. The livestream will be available on the Legion’s website.VE Day 75:The People’s CelebrationBBC ONE: 20:00 –21:10To mark the 75thanniversary of VE day, in these unprecedented times, the BBC in partnership with the Royal British Legion will honour and celebrate the World War Two Generation with an evening of memories and music.Featuring some of those who remember this historic day, together with Britain’s favourite performers, Katherine Jenkins, Adrian Lester, Anton Du Beke, Beverley Knight, Helen George, Sharon D Clarke, Shane Richie and Emma Barton who will entertain us with popular songs of the era.In a fitting finale at 9.00 pm we will see the nation unite for a very special rendition of “We’ll Meet Again” as across the UK we all give thanks to our veterans and remember our loved ones.‘We’ll Meet Again’ Singalong Lyrics available on The Royal British Legion website https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/stories/ve-day-singalong
Friday 1st May 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
Below is a member briefing on how Gloucestershire is supporting the county’s mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic, from the Lead Commissioner Clare Procter.
The NHS is still open for business. You can still contact your GP, 111 online or call 111 for help. If you are told to go to hospital, you must go. The NHS will give you the care you need. Find out more at www.nhs.uk
· The NHS Cheltenham and Gloucester fundraising team are looking for donations of the following items:
Lip salve – stick form
E45 face lotion for under staff masks
Please note these items should be new and unused. They will go to staff who are working in Covid-19 wards locally.
If you can donate these items please get in touch with T’pu Kapadia from the Integrated Transport Unit to arrange collection. Contact details: T’pu.kapadia@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 901,905
Total UK Cases – 171,253
Total UK Deaths – 26,771
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 6,177
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,181
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 182
News from TBC: Service delivery – There is a much better level of capacity in the hotels for those who are verified as rough sleeping and the housing team are working with colleagues across the county to find accommodation that is more permanent-work is progressing well on this.There has been an increase in the number of businesses trying to open and environmental health officers are keeping an eye on this across the borough. Some businesses are not covered by the regulations,such as car washes and dog groomers. The number of complaints received by environmental health have increased in areas such as noise and bonfire complaints. It is likely, with the garden waste service resuming, that there will be fewer bonfire complaints received however;the team is expecting to continue to see a rise in the number of noise complaints. A new national website for front line key workers has been launched www.mentalhealthatwork.org.uk/ourfrontline/providing further support and resources. This has been shared with staff. The garden waste service will resume from Monday, 4 May. Garden waste customers have been notified through letters and emails. A press release has also been sent, this has been publicised on our website and social media. Further clarification has been put on social media reminding residents that play parks are still shut.
Community support – A total of 26 emergency community grants have been awarded. These have been awarded to: Heart of Priors Park community interest company, Independently CIC, WAM Youth Winchcombe, Gloucestershire Counselling Service, Brockworth Parish Council, Brockworth Link, Springbank Community Food Bank, Tewkesbury Foodbank, Priors Park Neighbourhood Projecto, Community Connexions, Twyning Parish Council, Churchdown ABC, Radio Winchcombe Ltd, The Hollie Gazzard Trust, “BeSocial@theCentre Winchcombe”, Mindsong, GDA (Gloucestershire Deaf Association), Hucclecote parish council, Abbeyfield Tewkesbury Society Ltd, WAM Youth (Grant 2), Rooftop Housing Association, Southam Community Support Group, Shurdington Mutual Support, The Sensory Zone, GL3 Comunity Hub, 4th Cheltenham Boys Brigade. A press release has been sent outlining the good work community groups have been doing throughout the pandemic. This has been put on our website and social media pages. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. Following the shielding the vulnerable letter that was sent, 4500 residents across the county hadn’t responded and are now being contacted by Gloucestershire County Council, so far 66 have been identified as in urgent need and followed up through Adult Social Care. There have also been reports that the national food parcels haven’t been delivered to a few residents -work is taking place with the community groups to help ensure food is getting to those in need. Over £250k worth of funding has been given out to community groups across the county, from ten trusts within the county that are working together. The community Help Hub Portal will continue to provide support across the weekend
Business support-The business grants team have now paid out a total of £13.58m in grant payments to 1168 businesses.A total of 1397 applications have been received, 146 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 73 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. The work of the team to promote the grant and reach businesses who may be eligible is continuing Refusal letters have started to be sent to businesses this week, these outline the appeals process.Information on the appeals procedure has also been put on the website.The Growth Hub team continue to provide support to businesses and have delivered four webinars this week. There have also been a number of businesses that are proactively putting plans in place for business recovery. The government has announced support for businesses that are not eligible for the current business grant scheme; this is in the form of the discretionary fund. It is expected that we will receive a letter next week giving further details and will then look to open applications as soon as possible. Once we have more information we will update the website.
Proud to Care have been recruiting care workers in Gloucestershire. So far there have been 45 applications, and five people have started in new posts. Visit proudtocareglos.org.uk to find out more.
Reminder – we are urging people to continue reporting their concerns if they think that a child or young person could be at risk. For more information on reporting concerns and signs of abuse, please go to www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/keepchildrensafe
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 763,387
Total UK Cases – 161,145
Total UK Deaths – 21,678
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 5,986
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,139
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 176
News from TBC: Service delivery- There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications received, 452 new applications have been received to date,which equates to 18% of the average caseload.There can be a delay in processing these,as residents have to claim Universal Credit through DWP first. Environmental health officers continued to monitor business compliance and intend to issue Fixed Penalty Notices where necessary, most businesses are complying after a warning is issued.Officers are working alongside the police monitoring issues with social distancing. Recent reports include 500+ people per day using footpaths through farms. A preferred solution for the hosting of virtual committee meetings has been identified and testing to date has been positive. Essential meetings and agenda items are currently being prioritised and a schedule of these will be issued in due course.
Community support – A total of 24 community grants have been awarded. Please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. The community Help Hub Portal continues to provide support to those in the community how need additional support. In Tewkesbury Borough –1,531 requests for help have been received these include:Medical appointments -36 Food cover -468 Food parcels-149 Phone support-101 Prepare meals -33 Prescriptions -345 Put out bins -204 Recipes -20 Walk the dog –175.
Business support – The business grants team have now paid out a total of £12.99m in grant payments to 1113 businesses. A total of 1306 applications have been received, 141 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 43 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. Refusal letters have started to be sent to businesses this week, these outline the appeals process.Information on the appeals procedure has also been put on the website.The Growth Hub team will continue to provide support to businesses.
Tuesday 28th April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
County council employees joined public sector partners across Gloucestershire to mark the national one minute silence at 11am on 28 April. They were invited to pay their respects to the friends and colleagues they have lost over the last two months due to the virus.
Between 23 March and 24 April 2020 (five weeks) we have processed 1075 new applications for eligibility for Free School Meals. Families who have had a change in financial circumstances and may now be eligible are encouraged to find out more about Free School Meals online.
Information on staff testing in Gloucestershire issued by Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust can be found below.
· Gloucestershire GPs and care homes are developing new ways of working to offer continuing medical support to residents and keep people as safe as possible, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Watch a new video about ‘virtual ward rounds’ here.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 719,024
Total UK Cases – 157,149
Total UK Deaths – 21,092
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 5,902
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,112
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 171
Rate relief for Tewkesbury Borough businesses
Eligible businesses in Tewkesbury Borough are receiving ‘nil’ business rates bills this week as a result of an expanded package of business support from the government.
The Expanded Retail Discount has been awarded to 444 eligible businesses across Tewkesbury Borough, the total discount applied so far is just over £9.5 million, this support means they will not be required to pay business rates throughout 2020/21. The expanded package has ensured that Nursery premises are included, currently 13 have been identified in the borough receiving discounts to the sum of £100,246
The council is encouraging business owners to get in touch to find out if they are eligible for help.
Councillor Rob Bird, leader of Tewkesbury Borough Council said: “Whilst the current figures are most encouraging, it is vital that our all of our local businesses are made aware of the discounts available to them. We want to ensure that all businesses can access the help they are entitled to as soon as possible, to give them some stability during this uncertain time.
“Additionally, the Tewkesbury Growth Hub team are on hand to help, giving free advice and information on the latest business support packages available. They are also running webinars and other sessions that will provide practical and valuable guidance advice.”
Monday 27th April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
Counselling support is now available for staff in care homes. Information will be sent to care homes to advise how their staff can access this service.
News from TBC: Service delivery – We are pleased to advise that the emergency powers for rough sleepers, which saw us successfully accommodate 180 rough sleepers and other homeless people, have been deactivated. The focus is now on finding those who have been placed in hotels more permanent accommodation and work both at a borough and county level will be ongoing to do so. The Chief Executive was asked to join the Homelessness/Rough Sleepers Cell at the Gloucestershire Leaders and Chief Executives meeting last week. His role will be to support the work to develop a recovery period plan to provide housing solutions for the people currently housed in the temporary hotel accommodation. Ubico continue to run core services, a decision has been made to continue the suspension of the garden waste service, this information has been put on our website and on social media. This is reviewed on a weekly basis, and our garden waste customers are updated via press releases, letters and emails where we have them so they are kept up to speed. We would like to restart the service as soon as it is realistically feasible to do so, and when we can manage or minimise any impacts this could have on waste and recycling as essential services. The resident in the caravan is now in the car park on the Gloucester Road and has written obscenities on the caravan. Various agencies, including council officers, are trying to help this individual. There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications received, 421 new applications have been received to date. There can be a delay in processing these, as residents have to claim Universal Credit through DWP first. Environmental health officers continued to monitor business compliance over the weekend with drive by visits to 700 businesses. Three warning letters were issued over the weekend and the team will look at the need to issue fixed penalty notices if businesses continue to go against the government guidance. Information on which businesses should be closed can be found on the Covid-19 microsite. Testing continues on possible solutions to introduce remote council meetings.
Community support – Community grants: Total applications received to date – 25. Total grants awarded – 20 (plus 3 live). Value of grants awarded – £15,873.31. As these grants are processed on a daily basis, the bulletins will keep members updated regularly. However in the meantime, please continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. The community cell team continued to run across the weekend to provide support to those in need.
Business support – The business grants team have now paid out a total of £12.71m in grant payments to 1085 businesses. A total of 1276 applications have been received, 132 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 50 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. The business cell team are happy that all eligible businesses have been identified and resources are being used to target businesses that haven’t applied for the business rates grant. They are on track to have all business grants paid by the end of this week. Refusal letters will be sent to businesses this week and will outline the appeals process. The Growth Hub team will continue to provide support to businesses.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme:
Wages for furloughed employees are now being paid through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, just six working days after claims opened.
Payments for claims made on Monday 20 April will be in employers’ bank accounts by tomorrow (28 April).
Friday 24th April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
· Clarification – sadly, the county council has been informed of 50 care home resident deaths, not 49 as published yesterday in Table 3; Deaths of care home residents who were suspected to have Covid-19. Apologies for any confusion.
A questionnaire for GCC staff regarding mental health launched this week. This feedback will help HR understand what support staff need and what can be improved.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 583,496
Total UK Cases – 138,078
Total UK Deaths – 18,738
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 5,411
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 1,021
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 152
*The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
**The above data reflects nationally published NHS data available here.
News from TBC: Service delivery -The enhanced service for the homeless and rough sleepers has completed its goals with some 180 assisted, 80 placements beyond the team’s normal remit have been made and it is felt that all individuals have been offered opportunities. The Government have made it clear that burial grounds and cemeteries could remain open for people to visit their loved ones (in adherence to social distancing guidance) and the Act had been amended accordingly –a message would be circulated to Parish and Town Councils shortly to ensure they understood this. All other rules for funerals would remain the same. The Community Health Hub Portal will be operating as per usual this weekend. The Environmental Health team are experiencing issues with a small number of caravan touring sites still having individuals on site with people living in them, checks are being made and the appropriate action will betaken.Additional business checks are being made on those businesses offering a new takeaway service. Council tax reduction scheme applications continue to rise. 408 additional applications have been received since the COVID pandemic. Planning have been in touch with Parish and Town Councils following the extension to 28 days for consultation responses –most were working well. Support will be provided where required.
Community Support – Community grants: 22 applications, 16 successful and 14 live. Total award of £14k. Information on successful grants will be circulated to members. The scheme will also be promoted through the Citizens Panel. Flood grant deadline has been extended to today.Work on these to be progressed as quickly as possible.
Business Support – 1,300 applications have been received, we believe we are close to the maximum number.£12.32m paid so far to 1052 claimants. Those not eligible for business grants will be informed by letter as of Monday. An appeals process is currently being set up. Letter from Laurence Robertson MP to be distributed by email to approx. 400 addresses on our Economic Development distribution list for information. 444 businesses have been awarded business rate relief relating to the extended retail discount scheme. The total award is £9.5 million. Nurseries have also benefited with 13 applications within borough totally £100,246.This businesses have been re-billed with a ‘nil’ invoice for 2020/21. A press release has been sent out today.
Thursday 23rd April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
· An update on Care Home cases of Covid-19 in Gloucestershire can be found below in the ‘Your Questions Answered’ section.
· Proud to Care have been recruiting care workers in Gloucestershire. So far there have been 42 applications, and three people have started in new posts. Visit www.proudtocareglos.org.uk to find out more.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 559,935
Total UK Cases – 133,495
Total UK Deaths – 18,100
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 5,229
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 989
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 147
*The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
**The above data reflects nationally published NHS data available here.
· The council is able to offer some ‘supplier relief’ (support) on a case by case basis according to the nature of their goods or services. Following our bulletin on Friday 17 April, a letter regarding the details of ‘supplier relief’ will be sent to providers today/tomorrow.
Gloucestershire’s PPE stock levels are currently sufficient. Care home requests are being met on the same day. Local Resilience Forum delivery is expected today.
*The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
**The above data reflects nationally published NHS data available here.
News from TBC: Service delivery – There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications received, 390 new applications have been received to date, a 16% increase on caseload. There can be a delay in processing these,as residents have to claim Universal Credit through DWP first. The revenues team have received the software needed for the council tax hardship fund and will now start to work up an implementation programme for this. Environmental health officers continue to carry out visits to businesses, 15 warning letters have been issued over the past couple of days with some businesses now closing due to the warning they have received. Work continues on reviewing the technology solutions needed to introduce remote council meetings. ICT teams will be working collaboratively across the county to test and evaluate available platforms. Once this work is completed we will provide a further update. The registrar is operating five days a week from the offices and the DWP continue to work over the weekends. Although there are low numbers of officers in the office, the cleaners are still attending throughout the day and over the weekends. They work independently in order to maintain social distancing. We have continued to support the county’s #ThisIs campaign to highlight the good work being done by local government officers. These are published on our social media pages and have received a really positive response. The social media posts have been attached for your information. There have been national indications that environmental health officers could be drawn in to contact tracing for Covid-19 cases. There hasn’t been anything formal but there is potential officers will assist with this. This will put our environmental health officers on the front line and we will need to look at the requirements for PPE. Ubico continue to maintain the core waste collection services. A decision on whether the suspension of the garden waste service will continue will be mad on Friday. The government has announced an additional £1.6b funding for local government. We are yet to receive confirmation on our allocation but we expect it to be minimal.
Community support – Community grants: Total applications received to date-20. Total grants awarded -17. Value of grants awarded -£13,101.49. As these grants are processed on a daily basis, the bulletins will keep members updated regularly. However in the meantime, please to continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. It is anticipated that the community cell will continue to operate the Help Hub over seven days a week
Business support- The business grants team have now paid out a total of £11.8m in grant payments to 1012 businesses. A total of 1207 applications have been received, 99 applications have been refused as they do not meet the government’s eligibility criteria. There are 96 applications requiring further validation these are more complicated and the team are working hard to deal with these. The business cell continues to support business to access funds with a focus emerging now on planning for recovery, with free webinars and support from the Growth Hub team.
Tuesday 21st April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire updates
We are working with Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group to review information available for families who are shielding children at this time. We will be in touch with those families soon.
All PPE offers following our appeal last week are being pursued to develop new supply lines.
Council committee meetings will begin remotely this week. Members will receive instructions individually.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service officers are being trained to support the South West Ambulance Service.
· Work is ongoing with the local registrations team to collate more accurate information on community deaths and deaths in care home residents. The ONS have released a local authority breakdown of community deaths by setting, however this has a considerable time lag and only covers deaths that occurred prior to 3 April. As a result, we are exploring alternative sources of this information to enable a more accurate and timely understanding of community deaths. More details can be found below.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 501,379
Total UK Cases – 124,743
Total UK Deaths – 16,509
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 4,861
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 934
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 143
*The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
**The above data reflects nationally published NHS data available here.
Help to claim – Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
HMRC are providing updated help about what you will need to have ready before the system goes live.
They are also updating an important change to the scheme relating to employee eligibility:
you can claim for employees that were employed as of 19 March 2020 and were on your PAYE payroll on or before that date; this means that you will have made an RTI submission notifying us of payment of that employee on or before 19 March 2020
employees that were employed as of 28 February 2020 and on payroll (i.e. notified to us on an RTI submission on or before 28 February) and were made redundant or stopped working for you after that, and prior to 19 March 2020, can also qualify for the scheme if you re-employ them and put them on furlough.
As organisations prepare to make a claim, please note:
the online claim service will be launched on GOV.UK on 20 April 2020 – please do not try to access it before this date as it won’t be available
the only way to make a claim is online – the service should be simple to use and any support you need available on GOV.UK; this will include help with calculating the amount you can claim
you can make the claim yourself even if you usually use an agent
claims will be paid within 6 working days; you should not contact us unless it is absolutely necessary – any queries should be directed to your agent, representative or our webchat service
we cannot answer any queries from employees – they will need to raise these with you, as their employer, directly.
Information you will need before you make a claim
In addition to the information in our previous email, you will need to have the following before 20 April 2020:
a Government Gateway (GG) ID and password – if you don’t already have a GG account, you can apply for one online, or by going to GOV.UK and searching for ‘HMRC services: sign in or register’
be enrolled for PAYE online – if you aren’t registered yet, you can do so now, or by going to GOV.UK and searching for ‘PAYE Online for employers’
the following information for each furloughed employee you will be claiming for:
Name.
National Insurance number.
Claim period and claim amount.
PAYE/employee number (optional).
if you have fewer than 100 furloughed staff – you will need to input information directly into the system for each employee
if you have 100 or more furloughed staff – you will need to upload a file with information for each employee; we will accept the following file types: .xls .xlsx .csv .ods.
If you want an agent to act for you
Please note:
agents authorised to act for you on PAYE matters can make the claim on your behalf using their ID and password
you will need to tell your agent which UK bank account you want the grant to be paid into, in order to ensure funds are paid as quickly as possible to you.
You should retain all records and calculations in respect of your claims.
Guidance on GOV.UK is being regularly updated so please review it frequently.
We are in regular contact with all six hospice providers in the county in terms of their quantities of PPE and any risks or issues. To date any shortages have been resolved through a mixture of CCG support and providers are taking their own steps to source what is needed.
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 482,063
Total UK Cases – 120,067
Total UK Deaths – 16,060
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 4,669
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire* – 904
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire** – 130
*The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
**The above data reflects nationally published NHS data available here.
News from TBC: Service delivery – There continues to be an increase in the number of council tax reduction applications received, 362 new applications have been received to date, a 15% increase on caseload. Additional resource has been identified to assist the revenues and benefits team with these along with the increase in enquiries and work associated with administering the business grants scheme. Environmental health officers carried out more visits to businesses over the weekend –they are still pleased to report a high level of compliance. However, the team has had reports of alleged gatherings at the Olde Black Bear (Tewkesbury) and are looking into this. Officers have seen an increase in the number of bonfire and noise complaints. Environmental health will be working on comms messages about being a considerate neighbour. The government has announced an additional £1.6b funding for local government. We are yet to receive confirmation on our allocation but we expect it to be minimal. Representatives from Gloucestershire councils will be meeting this week to review the technology solutions needed to introduce remote council meetings across the county and ensure that we have robust procedures to enable public access and participation. ICT teams will be working collaboratively to test and evaluate available platforms. Once this work is completed we will provide a further update. The planning team has re-instigated its pre-application advice service. This week, the police will start using the council chamber for training events during lock down. They will also be using the old IT room to allow for effective social distancing in their area.
Community support – 8 community grants applications were received over weekend. Total applications received to date-20. Total grants awarded -11. Value of grants awarded -£9,288.50. As these grants are processed on a daily basis, the bulletins will keep members updated regularly. However in the meantime, please to continue to let the groups you are working with know about this opportunity. The community help hub continued to operate over the weekend, matching requests for help with the relevant community groups that can help provide the support needed.There have been 350 requests for help so far. Follow-up calls are made to make sure residents have received the support needed and if any further support is necessary.
Business support – The business grants team worked over the weekend to pay out £1.3m today (106 applications). The team have now paid out a total of £11.155m in grant payments overall (955 applications). The business cell continues to support business to access funds with a focus emerging now on planning for recovery, with free webinars and support from the Growth Hub team. Due to Covid-19 the deadlines for applications to the Business Flood Recovery Grant and Flood Community Recovery Grant have been extended to 24 April 2020. For those that think they may be eligible they can access the relevant guidance and online application forms as follows: Flood Community Recovery Grant: https://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/forms/flooding-community-recovery-grantoBusiness Flood Recovery Grant:https://www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/forms/business-flood-recovery-grant
Education – A Schools and Education Recovery Planning Team is being set up from next week to consider the issues and challenges with getting schools back to full operating capacity as and when Government confirm this can happen.
Every Mind Matters – We are supporting a national PHE campaign to encourage adults to take steps to look after their mental health during this difficult time, using Every Mind Matters and self-care resources. Please share Gloucestershire County Council social media posts. Additional resources such as posters can be found online here oi the Covid 19 section of the Campaign Resource Centre.
News from TBC: Service delivery – Mike Dawson and Rob Weaver will be making calls to non-executive members next week to check-in and keep in touch. Gloucestershire councils are currently working together to review the technology solutions needed to introduce remote council meetings and ensure that we have robust procedures to enable public access and participation. ICT teams will be working collaboratively to test and evaluate available platforms. The first meeting is being held on Monday. Once this work is completed we will provide a further update. The property team is monitoring the numbers of visitors to the cemetery (and those who just pass through) to assess if we require to close it and ensure social distancing is maintained. An out-of-hours service for booking burials has been implemented, in the first instance, until the end of April. The police will be using council chamber for training events during lock down, from 20 April. They will be using the old IT room to allow for effective social distancing in their area -they are expected to move in next week. Ubico continues to maintain core waste services, the garden waste service remains suspended and will be regularly reviewed. Environmental health officers have recently monitored 279 businesses, including in rural areas, who showed a high level of compliance. Those that are starting to operate takeaway services, that didn’t previously, are being given the latest guidance on the relevant legislation. There continues to be an increase(14%) in the number of council tax reduction applications received; additional resource has been identified to assist the revenues and benefits team with these along with the increase in enquiries and work associated with administering the business grants scheme. A dedicated area of the staff intranet has been built to help accessing information (on updates to policies, etc) much easier. Officers have seen an increase in the number of bonfire and noise complaints. Environmental health will be working with comms on messages about being a considerate neighbour. The planning team will be re-instigating its pre-application advice service today. Finance has completed a financial return to government outlining the direct and indirect impact Covid-19 has had on the authority’s finances. Moving forward, this will be a monthly return. It is still a statutory requirement to answer FOI in 20 days.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) recognises though the pressures that councils are under and will take this into account if needs be. TBC officers who respond to FOI requests have been instructed by management team to ensure they engage with a requestor if they believe they will need an extension of time.
Community support – The community cell team continued to provide support to those identified through the portal across the bank holiday weekend. There have been 340 requests for help, which have been mostly around the need for food and prescription deliveries. The community cell has been matching these requests up with the relevant community groups that can help provide the support needed. Follow up calls are made to make sure residents have received the support needed and if any further support is necessary. A press release has been sent out to media contacts regarding our emergency community fund. To date, twelve applications have been received from community groups. The total value of the applications is £11k. Further work will be done to make sure community groups are aware of the funding available and have the support and resources needed to help the community. A number of funders in Gloucestershire are working together to simplify the funding process, to enable community groups to apply for grants using one single application.
Business support – 1080 grant applications have been received, with £9.86m of grant payments processed by the revenues and finance teams to 849 businesses. The outreach telephone calls we are making to contact and support our business community through the process of making a grant applications is very much appreciated by them.We continue to have positive feedback about the way we are doing this.
Emergency community fund – Reminder
Tewkesbury Borough Council has launched a Covid-19 Emergency Community Fund to help communities as they respond to exceptional challenges over the coming months.
Charitable organisations across Tewkesbury Borough (and voluntary and community groups with charitable aims) can now apply for a grant of up to £1,000 to deliver projects or services that meet the Tewkesbury Borough COVID-19 Emergency Community Fund criteria.
The following activities will be a priority for this grant programme:
Direct and immediate practical support for vulnerable groups
Volunteer capacity to organisations delivering support to the above groups
Providing the above groups with access to necessary resources
Initiatives to reduce isolation and vulnerability
Running costs for organisations will be supported, including staff costs, volunteer expenses and transport costs. Small capital costs are also eligible, providing the capital items are directly linked to supporting the above groups.
To be eligible to apply, your work in response to Coronavirus must support one or more of the following groups:
Elderly (aged 65 and over)
Vulnerable or disadvantaged people
People with disabilities and/or underlying health difficulties
Homeless people
Low income families
Those that are self-isolating and have no support
Refugees and asylum seekers
People experiencing food poverty
You do not have to be a registered charity, as long as the work you do has charitable aims.
We are working hard to provide PPE to carers of the 3300 people receiving care in their own homes and 330 care homes.
£25m government funding has been made available to support hospices around the country. Gloucestershire will allocate this funding as soon as central government confirm this process.
Blue badges that are due to expire during Covid-19, have been ‘extended’. Penalty Charge Notices will not be given to citizens using Blue Badges with an expiry date of 1 January 2020 onwards. This relaxation of enforcement against expired Blue Badges should continue initially until 30 September 2020.Residents with a blue badge due to expire are still encouraged to renew their blue badges online if possible.
The ‘This is…’ campaign launched last week which aims to celebrate the hard work of individual members of staff across the county
GCC Staffing
20 staff with C19 symptoms, 221 are self isolating. Of the 221, 143 able to work at home, 98 are unable to work.
Workforce is total 3% reduced due to symptoms and self isolation, down slightly from 4% the previous week.
The testing data reflects nationally published data available here.
Tuesday 14th April 2020:
Key messages
Gloucestershire Updates
Around 66,000 items of PPE received over the weekend which are being distributed to settings across the county today. This is in addition to the 400,000 pieces received and distributed last week. Special schools and Trading Standards have also received supplies.
GCC are compiling a list of priority workers for testing at a drive-through facility in the county.
Gloucestershire Fire and Rescue Service will assist district councils and community groups with delivering food over the thresholds of people’s houses, where they are unable to do so.
Home Secretary outlines support for domestic abuse victims – Government has launched a new public awareness campaign highlighting that if anyone is at risk of, or experiencing, domestic abuse, they are still able leave and seek refuge. #YouAreNotAlone
School closures – Updated information on mental health issues, educational staff from overseas, primary school place offers for April 2020, exclusion and the governing board’s duty to reinstate excluded pupils.
The testing data reflects nationally published data available here.
From TBC: Management team meetings will now take place three times a week and so the frequency of these bulletins will reduce. This week, as it is a four day week, the next meeting will take place on Friday and a bulletin will be provided following that meeting. Moving forward management team meetings will take place on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday and you will receive a bulletin on each of these days.
Service delivery – The housing team are keeping in contact daily with those that have been placed in temporary accommodation to ensure that they have the support they need and to help mitigate any issues before they escalate. Ubico continue to maintain core waste services, the garden waste service remains suspended and will be regularly reviewed. A further press release has been sent today to update customers. The fire safety procedures have been amended due to the reduced number of Tewkesbury Borough Council staff attending the offices. Staff will now be required to sign in and out of the office and in the event of the fire alarm sounding; staff will congregate at the front of the offices. A member of the property team is in the office every day and will act as fire coordinator in the event of an emergency. The police will be using the civic suite for training of new recruits from Monday, 20 April to ensure they can adhere to the social distancing rules and will be out of bounds to all staff and tenants during this time. Some of the police lockers will be moved to the old IT suite in order to assist the police officers in maintaining social distancing when operating in the office.From today, Severn Trent Water will start to dig some trial holes on the Vineyards, Vineyards car park, the caravan site and on the nature reserve.They will be at each of these sites for around half a day as part of some planned work to replace the high-pressure sewer main that runs from Newtown to the Vineyards.The individual in the caravan has returned to the offices and is parked at the bottom of the drive. They are known to the authority and we will work with the police and courts to resolve the situation. There continues to be an increase(12%) in the number of council tax reduction applications received; additional resource has been identified to assist the revenues and benefits team with these along with the increase in enquiries and work associated with administering the business grants scheme. Environmental health officers monitored over 300 businesses across the bank holiday weekend, there was a high level of compliance across the borough and no fixed penalty notices were issued. Contact is also being made to businesses that are starting to operate takeaway services,that didn’t previously,to ensure they understand the latest guidance and legislation. The COVID-19 microsite is now live, it can be accessed through the main Tewkesbury.gov.uk website or directly through www.covid19.tewkesbury.gov.uk. A press release has been sent to media and digital contacts, and the microsite has also been promoted on our website, social media and linked-in. Executive CLT successfully took place on Thursday by teleconference. Mike and Rob will also be contacting non -executive members directly to update them on council services. The planning service is considering how best to ensure there is continued engagement with town and parish councils. There remains a process in place to ensure key documents and contracts can be physically signed. The use of electronic signatures is also being investigated as a contingency. Additional Voice over Internet (VoIP) type phone lines have been ordered to reduce pressure on current lines. These should be deployed within 7-10 days.
Community support – The community cell team continued to provide support to those identified through the portal across the bank holiday weekend. There have been 499 requests for help,which have been mostly around the need for food and prescription deliveries. The community cell has been matching these request up with the relevant community groups that can help provide the support needed. Follow up calls are made to make sure residents have received the support needed and if any further support is necessary. A press release has been sent out to media contacts regarding our emergency community fund. To date, eleven applications have been received from community groups. The total value of the applications is £11k. Further work will be done to make sure community groups are aware of the funding available and have the support and resources needed to help the community. The NHS volunteer scheme is up and running and people have started to be referred to the scheme. The fire service will provide assistance to those residents who require their food parcels to be taken into their homes. Supermarkets are creating priority lists of the vulnerable so that they can be put on both the priority list for online deliveries, as well as a weekly food parcel. Pharmacies are also extending the number of delivery slots available, it is understood the NHS volunteers will assist with this. A number of funders in Gloucestershire are working together to simplify the funding process, to enable community groups to apply for grants using one single application.
Business support – 997 grant applications have been received, with £8.4m of grant payments processed by the revenues and finance teams to 725 businesses. The revenues and finance team worked hard over the bank holiday weekend and were ready to pay over £1m worth of grant funding to businesses today. The outreach telephone calls we are making to contact and support our business community through the process of making a grant applications is very much appreciated by them.We continue to have positive feedback about the way we are doing this. The software update required to process the expanded retail discount and nursery discount is being deployed by IT today, which will allow the revenues team to issue nil bills the week commencing 20 April once the update has been tested and implemented.
Suspension of garden waste collection continues
Tewkesbury Borough Council will continue the suspension of its garden waste collection service for at least another two weeks.
The decision follows a review of how the coronavirus pandemic is affecting waste and recycling collection services across the borough.
The council’s waste and recycling contractors, Ubico, will continue to focus its efforts on completing statutory collections (i.e. refuse, food waste, recycling and litter bins), and is continuing to suspend non-essential collections to allow for drivers and crews taking time off to self-isolate if needed.
Councillor Jim Mason, lead member for clean and green environment, said: “Ensuring the wellbeing of collection crews, who are key workers and not immune to this terrible virus, is an absolute priority. Ubico is doing a fantastic job of keeping statutory waste and recycling collection services going under very difficult circumstances and I echo the many messages of support and gratitude that crews have received from residents.
“I want to thank our garden waste club members for their understanding, patience and flexibility. We will get the service back up and running as soon as we can, but in the meantime, please hang on to your garden waste and store it wisely.”
Here are some helpful tips to help manage garden waste until the service resumes:
· Don’t lighting bonfires. Many people – especially those with Covid-19 symptoms, underlying health conditions or respiratory illnesses – are having to self-isolate and could be seriously affected by the smoke.
· Prop your brown bin lid open slightly and keep it in the shade to reduce odour.
· Dry out any new garden waste (grass clippings, for example) and store in a heap or in a bag until services are up and running again.
· Consider home composting – this is one of the most effective ways to minimise the amount of waste going to landfill and it will also act as a great fertiliser for your plants next year.
The council will review the price for the garden waste service for next year’s subscriptions, based on the length of the current suspension, to ensure that customers don’t lose out.”
The bulky waste collection service, used to collect large items residents are unable to transport to the tip themselves, has also been suspended. The grounds maintenance service has also been scaled back to essential grass cutting needed for safety and keeping the cemeteries looking neat.
For updates on waste and recycling services, please visit tewkesbury.gov.uk or follow Tewkesbury Borough on Facebook and @TewkesburyBCgov on Twitter.
Thursday 9th April 2020:
TBCouncil launches COVID-19 microsite to ease stress of accessing information
A council in Gloucestershire has gone a step further in making vital COVID-19 advice and support as accessible as possible, by creating a microsite.
Recognising the importance of making information easy to access, Tewkesbury Borough Council created its microsite so everything related to COVID-19 is in one place, and not sitting among general council information.
The microsite, which can be accessed via the council’s main site, can also be found directly via: www.covid19.tewkesbury.gov.uk
As part of its commitment to putting its customers first, the borough council has also introduced a whole host of COVID-19-related online forms, so that customers can apply for grants and access support at a time that suits them. Forms include applications for business rates relief, business grants, retail discounts and community grants.
Utilising low-cost, user-friendly and accessible technology is something the council is already really good at, and it currently runs its main website using a platform costing around £150 per year.
Tewkesbury Borough Council’s Lead Member for Customer Focus Cllr Mike Dean said: “It very quickly became clear that we had a lot of information to get out to our residents and businesses. The front page of our website was becoming difficult to navigate, and we wanted to ensure our customers could access what they needed to know quickly and without frustration. Luckily, we have invested in our digital resource and have the skills in-house to create low-cost microsites and online forms. This is an extremely stressful and upsetting time for many people, and we want to ensure we make our customers’ lives as easy as possible, and hopefully our new microsite does just that.”
More news from TBC: Service delivery – The larger hotels procured to house the homeless are almost at capacity. 10 self-contained units have been identified to help house those homeless around the borough, there is also a five-bed house available to use if we need it, these will only be used if absolutely necessary and costs will only incurred if they are used. The team continues to attempt to source accommodation locally. DWP will be working on Good Friday. Cleaners will attend the offices over the weekend to clean areas used by the police and DWP. Officers are aware of a caravan that was parked in the staff car park at the Public Services Centre overnight, they have now been moved on but it is likely they will use one of the council’s car parks. The individual is known to the authority and we will work with the police and courts to resolve the situation. Currently 250 additional council tax reduction forms have been received; additional resource has been identified to assist the revenues and benefits team with these along with the increase in enquiries and work associated with administering the business grants scheme. Ubico continues to maintain the core waste services. A press release has been sent on the waste collections over the bank holiday weekend. There is no longer a requirement for the council to hold an annual meeting this year, please be advised that the annual meeting scheduled to take place on 12 May (Mayor Making) and 20 May (annual meeting resumption) is cancelled. As there will not now be an annual meeting the current appointments including mayor, deputy mayor, leader, deputy leader, membership of committees and outside bodies etc. will continue until the next annual meeting of the Council in May 2021. In the absence of an annual meeting, this will provide continuity of membership. Environmental health officers will continue to monitor businesses over the bank holiday weekend and have the ability to issue fixed penalty notices to any businesses that are not complying with the current regulation. A press release has also been issued around this. The COVID-19 microsite is now live, it can be accessed through the main Tewkesbury.gov.uk website or directly through www.covid19.tewkesbury.gov.uk. A press release has been sent to media and digital contacts, and the microsite has also been promoted on our website, social media and linked-in.
Community support – Operation buddy has been launched by the police, this will provide social support to members of the community who are isolated, scared or vulnerable. A press release has been sent out to media contacts regarding our emergency community fund. To date, seven applications have been received from community groups. More than 2650 offers of help have been submitted via the community help hub and 1714 requests for help have been logged. The hub will remain operational across the bank holiday weekend and the community cell has ensured that there is resource available to cover this.
Business support- 909 grant applications have been received, with £7.34m of grant payments processed by the revenues and finance teams to 641 businesses. The outreach work done by the growth hub team is reflected in the number of grant applications received to date. There are around 1500 eligible businesses across the borough and work will continue to promote the grant scheme. Confirmation has been received that the software required to process the retail discount will be received today, which will allow the revenues team to issue nil bills the week commencing 20 April.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (from HMRC):
If you’re eligible for the scheme, there are things that you can do now to be ready when the system is up and running later this month.
You’ll need to provide the following to make a claim:
The bank account number and sort code you’d like us to use when we pay your claim.
The name and phone number of the person in your business for us to call with any questions.
Your Self-Assessment UTR (Unique Tax Reference), Company UTR or CRN (Company Registration Number).
The name, employee number and National Insurance number for each of your furloughed employees.
The total amount being claimed for all employees and the total furlough period.
If you use an agent who is authorised to act for you for PAYE purposes, they will be able to make a claim on your behalf, so please speak to them now.
However, if you use a file-only agent (files your RTI return but doesn’t act for you in other matters), they won’t be able to make a claim for you and you’ll need the information listed above from them to make the claim yourself.
For more detailed advice, please visit GOV.UK. This guidance is being regularly updated, so please review it frequently.
We’ll email you again in the next few days with more details on how and when to access the online system – please do not try to do this until we let you know it is available.
Wednesday 8th April 2020:
Council launches emergency community fund
Tewkesbury Borough Council has launched a Covid-19 Emergency Community Fund to help communities as they respond to exceptional challenges over the coming months.
Charitable organisations across Tewkesbury Borough (and voluntary and community groups with charitable aims) can now apply for a grant of up to £1,000 to deliver projects or services that meet the Tewkesbury Borough COVID-19 Emergency Community Fund criteria.
The following activities will be a priority for this grant programme:
• Direct and immediate practical support for vulnerable groups
• Volunteer capacity to organisations delivering support to the above groups
• Providing the above groups with access to necessary resources
• Initiatives to reduce isolation and vulnerability
Running costs for organisations will be supported, including staff costs, volunteer expenses and transport costs. Small capital costs are also eligible, providing the capital items are directly linked to supporting the above groups.
Lead member for communities, Councillor Clare Softley, said: “There are some really amazing examples of community action springing up right across the borough, with great ideas about how local charities and organisations can help out during this unprecedented time. We want to help provide funding to make volunteer efforts easier and even more effective, so please do apply if your group meets the criteria.”
To be eligible to apply, your work in response to Coronavirus must support one or more of the following groups:
· Elderly (aged 65 and over)
· Vulnerable or disadvantaged people
· People with disabilities and/or underlying health difficulties
· Homeless people
· Low income families
· Those that are self-isolating and have no support
· Refugees and asylum seekers
· People experiencing food poverty
· You do not have to be a registered charity, as long as the work you do has charitable aims.
From TBC: Service delivery – The registrar is getting busier, although they conduct all their appointments over the phone they are still using the offices to help with social distancing between their own staff members. The police has requested additional space to use for training purposes of new recruits so they can adhere to the new social distancing guidance. The property team is assisting with this request and will be isolating the council meeting rooms for the police to use. Additional resource has been identified to be transferred to assist the revenues and benefits team with the increase in enquiries and work associated with administering the business grants scheme and increased applications for council tax reduction. Ubico continues to maintain the core waste services. Nationally, Unions are pushing for more social distancing in the bin lorries, and we are monitoring this situation closely as it may have a direct impact on our services, currently Ubico complies with the recent guidance and minimises the number of drivers and loaders in the cab as appropriate. UK Government has made it clear that waste services are a priority for local councils.A press release has been published on the website on the waste collections over the bank holiday weekend. Sara and Lin are continuing to work with other districts to ensure we have a common approach to meetings, we will continue to keep you updated as this progresses. We are receiving daily reports that groups of people are congregating around spring gardens car park and in bishop’s walk, and this continues to be reported to the police. The housing team is also providing support to the homeless individual who is often in this area.The COVID-19 microsite is progressing well, and we will alert members when it is live and ahead of any proactive communications. Communications planned include a press release to media and digital contacts, social media and linked-in.
Community support – The community cell is starting to meet and engage with other partners who are providing similar services, such as Rooftop Housing. This collaboration will ensure we aren’t duplicating and will allow us to work more closely with these agencies. A press release has been sent out to media contacts regarding our emergency community fund. To date, five applications have been received from community groups. The Citizens Advice Bureau is reporting that it is receiving five times the number of calls. they would normally receive
Business support- 828 grant applications have been received, with £6.94m of grant payments processed by the revenues and finance teams to 609 businesses. Two members of staff from Development Services have been redeployed to help the growth hub team to contact business identified as eligible for the business grant schemes. The hub team are also responding to businesses not eligible for the grants and reliefs available. Feedback is being gathered from these businesses regarding any gaps in business support.
Tuesday 7th April 2020:
Headlines
Updates in Gloucestershire
REMINDER: Benches are useful for someone who needs to take a rest during their daily exercise and none have not been “closed” by the county council. Any signs saying a bench has been closed with regards to COVID-19 should be removed. Following social distancing guidance, it is fine for two people from the same household to sit on a bench. Or one person to sit on a bench and speak to one another from a different household for a short period of time as long as they are a minimum of two metres apart.
Apprenticeship programme response – Updated with new information on continuing training and end point assessment for furloughed apprentices, and pausing new funding audits.
Our ‘Looking after your wellbeing‘ webpages are being updated regularly to support people to look after their physical and mental health
Daily stats
Total UK Tests – 208,837
Total UK Cases – 51,608
Total UK Deaths – 5,373
Total Confirmed Cases in South West – 1,827
Total Confirmed Cases in Gloucestershire – 306
Total Deaths in Gloucestershire – 39
The testing data reflects nationally published data available here.
From TBC: Service delivery – The majority of officers continue to work from home with 128 connecting into the remote system today and 159 in the last 24 hours. Environmental health officers continue to monitor businesses and will also do this over the Easter weekend to see how businesses are managing the situation over the bank holiday. Ubico continue to be operating core services as normal with a slightly reduced service for grounds maintenance and street cleansing. Information will be given to the public about the level of street cleansing being provided once the impact has been reviewed. Due to the reduced number of people out and about levels of litter have dropped and so it is likely the impact will be manageable. The revenues and benefits team continue to see an increase in council tax reduction applications, an additional 215 applications have been received.
Business support – 779 grant applications have been received, £6.1 million worth of grant payments have been processed, by the revenues and finance teams, to 540 businesses. Further work has been done today to promote the business grants on social media and on the website.
Monday 6th April 2020:
Headlines
Updates in Gloucestershire
IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION: signs have been put on some benches across the county saying they have been ‘closed’ following advice from the county council. This is not correct. The county council has given no such advice and these signs should be removed. People can use benches as long as they follow Government social distancing guidance.
From Monday 6 April the Adult Social Care teams will be operating seven days a week from 8 am to 8 pm.
The number of locality offices that staff are working from will be reduced as will the number of staff that will be working in the office. Staff will now work from two hubs, one in Shire Hall, Gloucester and the other in Redwood House, Stroud.
These hubs will have a small group of key staff working to triage referrals and decision making and will have additional support from other colleagues are working at home to undertake visits if necessary and telephone contact.
There are no changes to the referral route, all referrals should continue to me made via the Adult Help Desk 01452 426868.
Data sharingduring this public health emergency -Health and care information will be vital in our response to coronavirus. We must continue to use it well and inform the public to maintain and build trust.
The testing data reflects nationally published data available here.
News from TBC: Service delivery – In terms of partners in the public services centre, adult social care is now working remotely, with children services and nurses still operating from the building. DWP has asked to be operational seven days a week due to increased workloads –the property team is supporting them with this request. Our cleaning staff continue to provide their service in the building but are working separately throughout the day to protect themselves and others. Two cleaners have volunteered to work the weekends and bank holidays to support DWP operating seven days a week. We are aware of incidents with a motorbike and cars at Lower Lode Lane and groups gathering outside the Tesco store in Tewkesbury –police were called on both occasions and we will continue to assist the police wherever possible to stop this from happening.The Health and Safety Executive has published guidance on dealing with businesses and social distancing –enforcement action will be taken if cases are referred to them by environmental health officers.More information can be found here. Ubico has reduced their service on street cleansing but are still maintaining the core waste collection services. The revenues and benefits team is still seeing an increase in council tax reduction applications, which have increased by eight per cent. An Executive CLT meeting will take place on Thursday –first time over teleconference! National messages and those from Gloucestershire County Council continue to be pushed through our social media pages; this is in addition to messages about our own services. On average, our messages reach 60,600 people.
Community support – It has been confirmed that moving forward there will be no more central food drops. All food will be delivered directly to doors of vulnerable people, where requested, through national delivery companies. Supermarkets are now prioritising those in the vulnerable people category directly, which is making it easier for them to book online deliveries. A scheme is being run though the police, which is aimed at contacting young vulnerable people directly to check they are ok both physically and mentally. NHS volunteers –it has been confirmed we can utilise them and guidance has been issued. To this end, an app has been set up, to help with the ‘community response’ and ‘check in and chat’ -providing phone support to individuals at risk of loneliness. The community development cell team (incorporating staff from Community Development, Environmental Health and Democratic Services) is now working seven days a week to deal with requests received through the Help Hub, whilst the weekend saw quieter numbers enquiries were still received and a rota has been drawn up to ensure weekend/bank holiday cover can continue.The Long Table initiative is now operating in the borough. This is a model where residents can be provided and delivered with seven meals for £25, but anyone who can’t afford this can request meals for free. The scheme was originally started in Stroud but is now supported by Diocese of Gloucester and is being pushed across the county. Further information is attached to this bulletin this will also be shared on our website and social media.The COVID-19 Emergency Community Fund has been launched to help communities as they respond to exceptional challenges over the coming months. Charitable organisations, and voluntary and community groups with charitable aims, can now apply for a grant of up to £1000 to deliver projects or services that meet the Tewkesbury Borough COVID-19 Community Fund criteria. More information including the form can be found on our website.
Business support – 686 grant applications have been received, £5.4 million worth of grant payments have been processed, by the revenues and finance teams, to 480 businesses. The Growth Hub team continues to work with businesses to offer them the support needed and will be calling businesses that have been identified as eligible for the grant funding as well as those that are not, to ensure all businesses are offered support.
Stop Loan Sharks campaign and helpline – this is a time of increased financial pressure for some people. Find out more at www.stoploansharks.co.uk and please share the helpline number 0300 555 2222
Cllr Mark Hawthorne was part of a thank you message to all frontline workers with BBC Radio Gloucestershire
*publicly available data on deaths in NHS Trusts, based on where the patient died
From TBC: Service delivery – There has been a large increase in food waste and recycling being presented and this is putting additional pressure on already pressed services. We are currently seeing the same levels of waste usually seen at Christmas. This is a county wide problem and key messages will be put out regarding this. A county wide audit is taking place around all requirements for PPE which we will feed into. Car park enforcement and processing –Marstons part of the NSL parking management group have been awarded the enforcement contract from the 1 April following the Apcoa contracting ending on 31 March 2020 -this was a business as usual contract change. The processing of the penalty charge notice will be completed by Chipside,who will provide the back office software and payment portal for parking fines. The property team are continuing to ensure that the post is distributed to the relevant teams remotely where possible and that outgoing post continues to run as normal.The environmental health team continue to monitor business premises through drive-bys which are followed up by phone calls where necessary. Two warning letters have been sent to business in the borough, although these were operating through misunderstanding of the regulations. Information has been added to the website giving advice on the types of businesses that should be closed.
Community support- We understand that children who would usually receive free school meals will be provided with a hamper containing 10 days worth of food. These will be provided and delivered by the county council’s school meal provider and will replace the voucher scheme that was originally going to operate. It has been confirmed that weekly food parcels will be delivered to those in need highlighted through the NHS, and that this will come directly from wholesalers, working directly through MHCLG and the County Council. Gloucestershire County Council are ringing around the most vulnerable to check their needs catered for. Any low level needs will be fed through the Help Hub and dealt with the by the district team. Unfortunately, fraudsters are using this unprecedented time to take advantage of vulnerable individuals and also exploit any means to obtain financial or other gains. A leaflet has been put on our website giving advice on the types of scams taking place and how to spot them and not fall victim. Business support- – 563 grant applications have been received, £4.365 million worth of grant payments have been processed and made by revenues and finance teams-the press release relating to this can be found here. The Growth Hub team continue to work with business to offer them the support needed and will be calling businesses that have been identified as eligible for the grant funding as well as those that are not, to ensure all businesses are offered support.An e-newsletter was sent to businesses yesterday giving them further information on the support available to them.A software update is due to be received on 9 April which will allow the revenues team to issue revised business rates bills to those eligible for the expanded retail discount and nursery discount. The team are aiming to issue revised nil bills on 20 April. Direct debits have been amended for those businesses eligible that pay using this method.
From HMRC: At Budget 2020 the Chancellor announced details about a new coronavirus (COVID-19) Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme.
This scheme will allow small and medium sized employers, with fewer than 250 employees, to apply to HMRC to recover the costs of paying Statutory Sick Pay to their employees.
Today HMRC has published new online guidance which includes information about who can use the scheme and the records employers must keep.
HMRC is working urgently to set up a system for reimbursement. Existing systems are not set up to facilitate payments to employers.
Details about when the new Statutory Sick Pay Rebate Scheme can be accessed and when employers can make a claim will be announced as soon as possible.
We will continue to update you and the new GOV.UK guidance when these details are available.
– Citizens Advice services in Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Forest of Dean and Cheltenham available by telephone and email. Call 01452 527202 or visit www.gloscab.org.uk to complete an enquiry form. The website also provides online advice
National updates
– Guidance on business support grant funding – Updated information for local authorities on state aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, post payment checks, eligibility of charities.
Notification of data controllers in healthcare organisations, GPs, local authorities and arm’s length bodies that they should share information to support efforts against coronavirus (COVID-19).
Early years and childcare closures -Updated to clarify the income support available and the requirements for providing safe, quality care for vulnerable and critical workers’ children
*publicly available data on deaths in NHS Trusts, based on where the patient died
From TBC: Service delivery – There has been a large increase in food waste and recycling being presented and this is putting additional pressure on already pressed services, this is a county wide problem and key messages will be put out regarding this. The housing services team have worked hard in the last two weeks and have ensured that any known homeless cases in the borough have been offered accommodation.This level of assistance goes further than our statutory duties for emergency accommodation. Gloucestershire County Council and the six district authorities have worked together to procure two large hotel units (Gloucester & Cheltenham areas) with a total of 112 rooms.Locally we are still exploring further accommodation options to improve our offer to those in housing need and give flexibility when providing assistance to different groups.The first big housing benefits payment run of the financial year took place today,this was done remotely, successfully making 879 payments totalling £950,000.There has been a considerable increase in the number of council tax reduction scheme (CTRS) applications. An additional 165 applications have been received to date. As you are aware we have been offering free parking in our car parks since the 24 March,initially fora three week period after which it will be reviewed. An email/text message will be sent to all residents with a permit asking that they maintain their payments to hold their permit place,but that at the end of the free period all valid permits will be extended for the equivalent period to compensate for the time of free parking.A press release has been put on the website giving an update on the waste services that have been reduced. Emails are being sent to all garden waste customers we hold emails for and letters are being sent to those who do not have email an address. A further press release has been put on the website giving hints and tips on what to do with garden waste and to discourage residents from burning it.
Community support- We understand that weekly food parcels will be delivered to those in need highlighted through the NHS, and that this will come directly from wholesalers,working directly through MHCLG and the County Council. There may be a need for local support from us and we are looking at how this could be provided should the county council require us to assist.The anti-social behaviour team have received reports of young people gathering in certain areas, these have been reported to the police who are working to stop this from happening. The Community Help Hubset up by the county council has seen 3,600 people come through the hub across the county a third of these are in need of additional support with two thirds offering to volunteer. A team of portal operators continue to contact those requiring assistance and linking them to those that can provide help, working alongside volunteers and councillors on the ground. The GCC call centre is now operating from 8am-8pm Monday –Friday and 9-4 at a weekend. This will also be resourced over the bank holiday weekend. Staff from Tewkesbury Borough Council will be continue to ensure that those in need are matched up 7 days per week. Due to the large volume of information that we need to communicate to residents and businesses a new micro site is being created on the website to make it easier to find the information needed but also to ensure we are able to provide detailed information where necessary. When this is live we will share the link with you and promote on our social media pages.
Business support – 466 grant applications have been received, £3.63 million worth of grant payments have been made. The Growth Hub team continue to work with business to offer them the support needed and will be calling businesses that have been identified as eligible for the grant funding as well as those that are not, to ensure all businesses are offered support.
All key workers who have need of/requested an early years/nursery place have been found provision to date
Gloucestershire Registration Service are set to take death registrations via telephone in line with recently amended legislation
We continue to promote key roles in care as part of our fast track recruitment campaign to help care providers fill a number of flexible, temporary and permanent paid roles.
If you need help or someone you know does, please visit the Community Help Hub or call 01452 583519.
Daily stats
Confirmed cases in Gloucestershire: 156
Confirmed deaths in Gloucestershire: 10
Confirmed cases in South West: 733
Total UK Tests: 143,186
Total UK Cases: 25,150
Total UK Deaths (5pm 31 March): 1,789
From TBC: Service delivery. A press release has been put on the website giving an update on the waste services that have been reduced. Emails are being sent to all garden waste customers we hold emails for and letters are being sent to those who do not have email an address. Further information is also being put on the website giving hints and tips on what to do with garden waste and to discourage residents from burning it. Information will be added to the website giving reassurance to residents that Ubico crews are being provided with the correct PPE.
Community support. If you are aware of any local businesses offering food deliveries please let the community development team know by emailing CommunityDevelopment@tewkesbury.gov.uk so that this information can be collated and passed onto those who will be able to utilise the service available. The community grants scheme to further support voluntary community groups is progressing well and we hope to be in a position to start processing applications by the end of the week.NHS Volunteer Responders have been mobilised to help support vulnerable individuals who are self-isolating. Priority will be given to those identified as most at risk from COVID-19 and asked to self-isolate at home for an extended period, and to those who health practitioners and local authorities consider to be vulnerable. The volunteer initiative is being delivered by NHS England and NHS Improvement in partnership with Royal Voluntary Service.The Community Help Hubset up by the county council has seen 3,600 people come through the hub across the county a third of these are in need of additional support with two thirds offering to volunteer. A team of portal operators continue to contact those requiring assistance and linking them to those that can provide help, working alongside volunteers and councillors on the ground. Please keep up the great work you are doing with your local community groups.Due to the large volume of information that we need to communicate to residents and businesses a new microsite is being created on the website to make it easier to find the information needed but also to ensure we are able to provide detailed information where necessary. When this is live we will share the link with you and promote on our social media pages.
Business support: 406 grant applications have been received and £2.5 million worth of grants payments were made today. Amended guidance has been received around the support that can be provided to self-employed individuals and smaller businesses. Updated information will be communicated to businesses,put on the website and on social media. The Growth Hub team continue to work with business to offer them the support needed. Information is being drafted around the expanded retail discount scheme.Once finalised this will be published on the website.We are waiting for our software provider to update the software, with an expected date of 3 April.The Revenues Team will need to test the software before we can issue nil bills.The team have been changing the payment method
Tuesday 31st March 2020:
News from HMRC: The government is committed to doing whatever it takes to support businesses and individuals through the Coronavirus pandemic. On 20 March as part of these efforts the Chancellor announced the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.
This funding will be open to all employers with a PAYE payroll scheme that was created and started on or before 28 February 2020, including charities. Employers can apply for grants of 80% of furloughed employees’ (employees on a leave of absence) monthly wage costs, up to £2,500 a month, plus the associated Employer National Insurance contributions and minimum automatic enrolment employer pension contributions on that wage, provided they keep the worker employed. The scheme will cover the cost of wages backdated to 1 March 2020, if applicable.
HMRC have been working night and day to develop this scheme, and we can now confirm that we have been able to publish further details of the scheme on GOV.UK. We are aiming to have the scheme up and running by the end of April 2020. More detailed guidance will be published in due course and please be assured we will advise you when the scheme is open.
We recommend you view the guidance which will be updated as the scheme is further developed, and in line with any further government announcements.
Monday 30th March 2020:
Garden Waste collections suspended due to Covid-19, message from TBC Officer: I hope you’re all safe and well. In line with our business continuity plan with Ubico, we have had to reduce the services running in order to make sure there are sufficient staff (who are key workers) to run our statutory waste collection services. From today, the garden waste collection service has been suspended and will not run for at least 2 weeks. A number of drivers and collection staff are unable to work due to Covid–19 which has meant the remaining workforce are focussing on the main waste services. This is not a decision we take lightly and we have managed to collect for as long as we could, even when other councils had stopped their garden waste collections.
We will be contacting customers from today and it would be extremely helpful if you can pass this message out to your communities so we can ensure the information is circulated. I will send you a copy of the email / letter so you can share with your residents and communities.
Regular service updates:
We will also be updating our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/tewkesbury.boroughcouncil as well as our dedicated website page: www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/impacted-refuse-and-recycling-collections (which is accessible from the main homepage) with regular updates and also some helpful tips on how to manage your waste at home during this challenging time. We will arrange for our telephone line to be updated with service information for those not on the internet, social media or email. IT are currently working on this with our comms team.
We have also stopped taking new orders for bulky waste collections but honouring those remaining bookings which have already been made. If we need to alter this at any point, we will let customers know as soon as possible.
I will update you regularly when there are any more changes. This is a fast moving situation and we will endeavour to do our best to keep the main services running.
Friday 27th March 2020:
From GCC – COVID-19 update: 27 March 2020
· If you need help or someone you know does please visit the Community Help Hub online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/helphub or by calling 01452 583519 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm
· Please follow the national advice rearing staying at home unless its absolutely necessary to go out for reason set out in the guidance – this will help manage the spread of Covid-19 and support the NHS and care sector to cope
· If you are a business and need advice and support, please go to the Government’s dedicated web pages
· Please take time to look after your mental health – make sure you are keeping your mind and body active
· Remember to keep up the good handwashing and to catch sneezes and coughs in a tissue.
· A dedicated phone line and email address has been set up to help parents with all school related enquiries, including questions relating to Free School Meals. Tel: 01452 426015. Email COVIDSchoolenquiries@gloucestershire.gov.uk
The position in Gloucestershire
The Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), chaired by Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at the county council is the multi-agency group consisting of partners from across the county who is leading Gloucestershire’s response to Covid-19. The group is currently meeting twice weekly. It is supported by a “Tactical Coordination Group” (TCG) that is responsible for delivering the actions from the SCG who meet
Public Health England (PHE) has formally confirmed:
64 cases in the county
1 death in the county
453 cases in South West
UK
Total UK Tests: 104,866
Total UK Cases: 11,658
Total UK Deaths: 578
New National Guidance
· Fraud control in emergency management – Guidance for leaders and fraud experts in government bodies and local authorities that are administering emergency programmes
· The Coronavirus Act 2020 has now become law and is available on legislation.gov.
· Customers who usually attend day care and respite are being contacted every other day to make sure informal carers are coping or if they need support
· Great Western Court (Gloucester) provides bed based reablement and has freed up the bed available and opened an additional six beds to take cases from hospital discharges or cases from the community
· GIS (Healthcare) and Adult Social Care are working on plans to run a seven day service from 6 April to meet the demand expectations of the discharge guidance
· Currently independent care providers are still taking on new referrals and meeting their existing commitments.
· Care Home providers are putting in visiting restrictions and Beaufort House Care Home and Elmlea Care Home are closed.
Education
· The Early Years team is working to find alternative provision for Key Workers across the county as many nurseries and early years providers close
· A further announcement is expected from the Department For Education (DfE) in relation to the provision and delivery of Free School Meals or Vouchers for eligible children – further guidance will be issued to schools today
· Guidance on safe operating and deep cleaning, HR FAQs, Traded Services updates have been issued to schools.
· Cleaning contractors have confirmed they will continue to operate and provide deep cleans over the Easter break, subject to available staff and resources.
· The requirement for cover over the Easter holiday break and Bank Holiday dates is still being considered in consultation with the DfE and further information will follow. A letter has been issued by schools to parents seeking clarity of need for school places over Easter.
Health
· A significant number of outpatient appointments at Gloucestershire Royal and Cheltenham General Hospitals are being done using conferencing technology and phone calls – helping to protect patients and staff at the hospitals. Where necessary face-to-face are continuing and precautionary steps are in place
Transport
· Temporary changes to bus services are being introduced from Monday 30 March 2020. See here.
Housing
· Gloucestershire’s COVID-19 Emergency Accommodation Protocol (CEAP) humanitarian response has been activated to provide people with emergency accommodation who wouldn’t normally be eligible.
Districts
· Section 151 officers across the county are discussing the economic response to the crisis and implementation of Government guidance on business rate relief and other measures.
Community Help hub
Since the community help hub went live on we have received lots of positive feedback and can see that people are sharing the details which is great news. To help coordinate all of the great work going on across the county and to make sure we do as much as possible for as many people as possible, we would really appreciate existing groups already working in an area to register via the hub. So, please do encourage those you are aware of to do so.
As of Thursday 26 March the following responses have been received:
1. I can offer help – 1583
2. I need help – 449
3. My neighbour needs help – 168
4. My business can help – 142
5. 202 phone calls to the covid phone line (On a normal day the adult help desk get 200-250 calls).
Latest information from the NHS on service advice and developments: NHS update
Thursday 26th March 2020:
From GCC: It is essential communities follow the up to date guidance from government and the NHS and that they are not causing unnecessary anxiety and concerns due to misinformation being shared with them, however well meaning. Therefore, please only use the information in the briefing below and/or information and advice from Government or NHS sources.
Key messages for today:
· People can now register to the county’s community help hub by calling 01452 583519 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 5pm, as well as online at www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/helphub
· Please follow the national advice about staying at home unless its absolutely necessary to go out for reasons set out in the guidance – this will help manage the spread of Covid-19 and support the NHS and care sector to cope
· If you are a business and need advice and support, please go to the Government’s dedicated web pages
· Please take time to look after your mental health – make sure you are keeping your mind and body active
· Remember to keep up the good handwashing and to catch sneezes and coughs in a tissue.
· A dedicated phone line and email address has been set up to help parents with all school related enquiries, including questions relating to Free School Meals. Tel: 01452 426015. Email COVIDSchoolenquiries@gloucestershire.gov.uk
The position in Gloucestershire
The Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), chaired by Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at the county council is the multi-agency group consisting of partners from across the county who is leading Gloucestershire’s response to Covid-19. The group is currently meeting weekly. It is supported by a “Tactical Coordination Group” (TCG) that is responsible for delivering the actions from the SCG.
Public Health England (PHE) has formally confirmed:
57 cases in the county
1 death in the county
397 confirmed cases in the South West
UK
Total UK Tests: 90,436
Total UK Cases: 8,077
Total UK Deaths: 442
PHE is now prioritising testing for Covid-19 for those who require hospital care for pneumonia or acute respiratory illness. Wider community testing is no longer happening as a matter of course but PHE will continue to investigate if there are specific outbreaks, i.e. where several cases are connected, especially in a particular setting such as care homes.
Local updates
· As of this morning Thursday 26 March, 1465 individuals and 119 businesses have made offers of help through the online hub, 348 registered for help and 122 said a neighbour needs support. For those unable to use the online forms we now have a phone line available, 01452 583519. The lines are open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5pm. Yesterday, we answered 92 calls
· Regional Organised Crime Unit (ROCU) releasing a campaign to raise awareness of scammers exploiting the crisis. More information is available under the ‘more information’ section on the community hub.
· The NHS has announced some temporary changes to Gloucestershire’s Minor Injury and Illness Units (MIIUs) in order to strengthen staffing at a smaller number of sites. The inpatient hospital services will be unaffected at this time and kept under review:
– From today (Thursday 26 March) temporary closures include: The Vale, near Dursley (nearest alternative, Stroud) and The Dilke, near Cinderford (nearest alternative, Lydney)
– The following MIIU will close temporarily from Sunday evening (March 29): Tewksbury (nearest alternatives North Cotswolds, Stroud or Lydney)
– The following MIIUs will be open from 8am until 6pm, seven days a week, from Monday 30 March until further notice: Lydney, Stroud, Cirencester, North Cotswolds, in Moreton-in-Marsh
· NHS has launched local community hubs in health centres and surgeries to support people who need face-to-face support or who have symptoms of Covid-19 in their communities. This aims to relive the pressure on hospitals and protect NHS staff
· NHS ‘Stay home, save lives’ campaign launched to encourage people to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. The campaign materials are now available to download on the Campaign Resource Centre. NHS is also aiming to provide some materials in accessible formats, plus translated versions of the posters and selected social assets in the following languages: Polish, Russian, Welsh, Punjab, Urdu, Bengali, Gujarati, Romanian and Roma (for the Roma travelling community)
Education
· A series of Frequently Asked Questions have been published and a dedicated phone line and email address set up to help parents with all school related enquiries, including questions relating to Free School Meals. Tel: 01452 426015. Email COVIDSchoolenquiries@gloucestershire.gov.uk
· At the current time almost everyone who needs a child care place, has one. Work is ongoing to ensure sufficient places remain although this will become an increasing challenge
· Further guidance has been issued to schools to assist them in the provision and delivery of Free School Meals to eligible children
· More support and guidance is being prepared on deep cleaning as more schools are requesting it as suspected and confirmed cases are reported in schools
· The requirement for cover over the Easter holiday break and Bank Holiday dates is still being considered in consultation with the Department for Education and further information will follow
· Gloucestershire Country Council will pay 90 per cent of schools contracts, including for providers of school transport whilst schools are closed
Latest national guidance
· PM statement 25.03.20 covered new NHS ‘army’ of volunteers. 405,000 people signed up in 24 hours. They will be: driving medicines from pharmacies to patients; bringing patients home from hospital; making regular phone calls to check on and support people who are staying on their own at home
·
· Guidance on vulnerable children and young people – Updated guidance to include additional information on children with education health and care (EHC) plans and children in alternative provision (AP) settings
· Updated guidance for local government – Added links to: COVID-19 advice for accommodation providers COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable
The NHS in Gloucestershire is taking responsible steps to plan ahead and respond to the unfolding Covid-19 situation. Here is a link to the latest information from the NHS on service advice and developments: NHS update
From TBC: Covid-19 – Council tax discount for those on low incomes
Tewkesbury Borough Council will receive a Hardship Fund from Government in April 2020.
The fund will allow the council to apply a discount to council tax bills for working-age residents who are on low incomes and in receipt of Council Tax Reduction. These residents will receive a one-off award of £150 towards their 2020/2021 council tax bill.
If your balance for 2020/2021 is nil, then no payment can be granted. If you have a balance that is less than £150 your balance will be cleared in full. This deduction is for 2020/2021 only (even if you have a balance from previous years).
Residents who meet the criteria do not need to apply for this payment, it will be identified and paid automatically. Once the discount has been applied, customers will receive a new bill showing the deduction.
In response to COVID-19, the government has shared details of its grant funding package, which is available to eligible businesses across Tewkesbury Borough.
The council is asking eligible businesses to complete an online grant application form as soon as possible to ensure that payments can be made in the next few weeks. It will take business owners around five minutes to complete.
Council officers will be contacting eligible businesses as a prompt to complete the online form.
Eligible businesses
Businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors:
· The government announced cash grants of up to £25,000 for businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors.
· For businesses that were actively trading and occupying properties with rateable values of £15,000 or less the grant is expected to be £10,000.
· For businesses that were actively trading and occupying properties with rateable values between £15,000 and £51,000 the grant is expected to be £25,000.
Businesses in any sector receiving the small business rate relief:
· Businesses in receipt of small business rate relief on 11 March 2020 will receive a grant of £10,000. There are some exceptions:
o Properties which are occupied for personal use, e.g. private stables, beach huts and moorings will not qualify for a cash grant even if they are in receipt of relief.
o Properties where the liability is calculated using the small business multiplier but not in receipt of small business rate relief will not qualify for the grant.
The gov.uk website provides additional information relating to these measures.
We are also providing free support and advice through Tewkesbury Growth Hub, including a range a of webinar advice sessions, for more info email: tewkesbury@thegrowthhub.biz or telephone 01684 272073.
If you need any further information or help with signposting to appropriate advice and support, call the Economic Development Team on 01684 272249 or email economicdevelopment@tewkesbury.gov.uk
Community support
GRCC have put together guidance for community groups who are working with the community a copy is available on the TBC website.
Parking charges in car parks owned and managed by Tewkesbury Borough Council have been suspended with immediate effect. More info here.
Cotswold Markets have taken the decision to cancel all their markets for now. More info here.
All of the TBC play areas have been now been closed in line with the government guidance around social distancing. TBC have put clear signage up and will be locking those we can. TBC are also liaising with the police for patrol at these areas as some people are still visiting.
The county council has closed all Household Recycling Centres. If you are on social media, please do share our updates. More info here.
The Community Help Hub set up by the county council has been very well received. Data is starting to come through and they can match that with vulnerable residents. Amendments to the portal have been made and improved. Urgent cases will be flagged up by the county council. A phone line has been set up for those who do not have internet access, please pass on the number to those who may need it 01452 583519. The lines are open Monday – Friday 8.30am – 5pm. The phone number has been put on our website and promoted through social media. TBC liaising with housing associations so that we don’t double handle vulnerable residents.
In respect of shielding the vulnerable, a letter from the NHS has been sent to vulnerable people to self-isolate for 12 weeks.There are around 9,000 vulnerable people in our county, although some will have their own support networks in place. TBC have a team of around 16 to call these vulnerable customers (based on a script from the county council) and identify who requires support packages e.g. food deliveries/prescription collections.
A link has been added to the coronavirus information and support page on the TBC website for members of the public to report concerns to the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) if they feel a business is acting unfairly by raising prices of goods or making misleading claims during the pandemic.
Information has been issued around the support TBC can offer residents through the council tax hardship fund – more information here
Wednesday 25th March 2020:
News from TBC: this news has been updated and moved to Thursday 26th March 2020.
From GCC:
The position in Gloucestershire
The Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), chaired by Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at the county council is the multi-agency group consisting of partners from across the county who is leading Gloucestershire’s response to Covid-19. The group is currently meeting weekly. It is supported by a “Tactical Coordination Group” (TCG) that is responsible for delivering the actions from the SCG.
Public Health England (PHE) has formally confirmed:
32 cases in the county
1 death in the county
278 cases in South West
UK
Total UK Tests: 83,945
Total UK Cases: 6,650
Total UK Deaths: 335
PHE is now prioritising testing for Covid-19 for those who require hospital care for pneumonia or acute respiratory illness. Wider community testing is no longer happening as a matter of course but PHE will continue to investigate if there are specific outbreaks, i.e. where several cases are connected, especially in a particular setting such as care homes.
Latest Government Guidance
As you will know: “The government is now (23 March 2020) introducing three new measures:
1. Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes
2. Closing non-essential shops and community spaces
3. Stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public
Every citizen must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, will be given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings. These measures are effective immediately. The Government will look again at these measures in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.”
· A message went to all staff yesterday Monday 23 March with an update from the ICT service, encouraging staff to contact the digital desk, rather than phoning in and that monitors will be delivered on request, in order of priority
· Following last night’s announcement a message to all staff 24.03.20 from Pete Bungard asking staff in essential services who can work from home to do so and all staff in non-essential services to stay at home, even if they cannot yet work from home
· A further message to managers providing further advice and guidance will go out today
Media
· Sarah Scott was on BBC Radio Gloucestershire yesterday (Monday 23 March) giving advice re social distancing, isolating and shielding
Household Waste and Recycling Centres
· All household waste recycling centres have closed with immediate effect. Residents should make full use of their kerbside waste collection service for recycling, green and food waste and general waste, which the district councils are making every effort to keep operational
Libraries
· All staff have now been advised to stay at home except where we are covering lone working for Registration Offices, which is being managed on a rota basis
· Registration
· All ceremonies are now being cancelled with immediate effect. All birth registration appointments are being cancelled with immediate effect. All death registrations will go ahead but with only one informant
Highways
· There are a selected number of roles within the highway team that are considered key workers. The county council has moved to a temporary safety inspection policy which enables us to focus available resources on emergencies and priority repairs. In general, the approach will be to maximise the level of labour resources available by diverting resources from planned or programmed works to deal with reactive works as necessary
Schools
· In light of new guidance on school closures issued by the Department for Education on Friday 20 March and over the weekend, the education team updated the advice developed on 19 March for county schools (attached). Following last night’s announcement (Monday 23 March) we have confirmed with schools that that these arrangements should continue for vulnerable children and children of key workers who cannot keep their children at home. Please note the situation is changing regularly and schools are being update daily on thw latest information and guidance
· Schools have reported that many parents have heeded the latest guidance and many have decided not to send their children into schools, with a lot fewer children arriving at school yesterday (Monday 23 March) than had applied for places on Friday
· Free Schools Meals (FSM) for children attending school will be provided a meal through Caterlink, which will continue to be prepared and delivered as usual. This service will be extended over the Easter Holidays to ensure all children continue to have a midday meal
· Some schools and academies are still trying to work out the best way of getting Free School Meals to eligible children – they have been offered advice and information but need to manage this locally
· Advice for parents is now on the GCC website Community Hub
· The care requirements of the Easter holiday break and Bank Holiday dates are being considered
The NHS in Gloucestershire is taking responsible steps to plan ahead and respond to the unfolding Covid-19 situation. Here is a link to the latest information from the NHS on service advice and developments: NHS update
Tuesday 24th March 2020 :
IMPORTANT PLEASE READ (from GCC): It is essential communities follow the up to date guidance from government and the NHS and that they are not causing unnecessary anxiety and concerns due to misinformation being shared with them, however well meaning. Therefore, please only use the information in the briefing below and/or information and advice from Government or the NHS.
The position in Gloucestershire
The Strategic Coordination Group (SCG), chaired by Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at the county council is the multi-agency group consisting of partners from across the county who is leading Gloucestershire’s response to Covid-19. The group is currently meeting weekly. It is supported by a “Tactical Coordination Group” (TCG) that is responsible for delivering the actions from the SCG.
Public Health England (PHE) has formally confirmed:
29 cases in the county
1 death in the county
242 cases in South West
UK
Total UK Tests: 78,340
Total UK Cases: 5,683
Total UK Deaths: 281
PHE is now prioritising testing for Covid-19 for those who require hospital care for pneumonia or acute respiratory illness. Wider community testing is no longer happening as a matter of course but PHE will continue to investigate if there are specific outbreaks, i.e. where several cases are connected, especially in a particular setting such as care homes.
Social distancing
In case you have not yet seen it, here is the latest guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults, which was published on 16 March 2020. This guidance also includes a note on the group of vulnerable people who are at even higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, and who should therefore expect to be contacted directly with advice on the more stringent measures they should take in order to keep themselves and others safe
Resilience
The Local Resilience Forum is set up to be able to respond to concurrent issues. For example, during the recent flooding a Tactical Coordinating Group was stood up to manage the risk whist another Tactical Coordinating Group was running for Covid-19
All partner agencies have Business Continuity plans in place as required under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004
A GCC Business Continuity Management cell has been set up to make sure critical services continue to function and details of non essential staff are known
The work that many staff are doing is already changing to support this urgent situation and ensure that we are able to support our most vulnerable residents. Over the coming days and weeks, we will be redeploying staff to support critical activities. Much of this will be to staff advice lines, keeping communication channels open and other support roles, to free up qualified and specialist workers to undertake the work that only they are able to do
Registration services
• UK Notice of Marriage appointments and Civil Partnerships – due to capacity issues no bookings will be taken unless the Marriage/Civil Partnership is within a three month period.
• Individual & group Citizenship Ceremonies are continuing, attendees are being advised not to bring guests.
• Birth and Death registration appointments –no more than two people should attend
• Re-Registration appointments and Correction appointments have ceased with immediate effect (unless there is an exceptional reason)
• Call volumes into the Registration service are high
Information management
The council’s Information Management Service (IMS) has put in place a temporary process to capture any new use of personal data that takes place during the pandemic. IMS has developed a simple Impact Assessment comprising for service areas to complete and return to IMS. After the emergency IMS can then consult these assessments and return to the relevant service area and support them in ensuring that GDPR is complied with and data erased where necessary.
Transport
· The county council’s integrated Transport Unit have been in contact with bus operators who are experiencing significant falls in income from fares and coach bookings, with the priority being both to maintain access to essential services now and to safeguard transport provision for all communities in the long term. The frequency of some services has been reduced to help manage costs
· Restrictions on concessionary travel passes have been removed
Community support and the Community Help Hub
Gloucestershire’s councils and partners have created a community help hub to connect local people who need help, with others who can provide the support they need. To date there has been: 543 offers of help from individuals, 44 businesses offering help, 46 requests for help and 11 requests to help a neighbour. Please do continue to promote the hub in your local area: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/covid-19/
This group will be coordinating offers of community support and requests for help. The Portal is hosted on the county council’s, with information being fed through to the relevant district council to follow up. The county council is collating information on community led volunteer groups and changes to business as usual across the county so that the situation can be mapped and gaps identified where resources may need to be mobilised.
Support for those without internet access
Many providers and VCS organisations are transferring their support to phone services. For example:
· Age UK are launching a new Freephone service for older people who want someone to talk to. Staff and existing approved volunteers will be used to make a phone call to those who feel isolated, lonely or need some human interaction.
· GL11 in Dursley have set up a central phone line which is staffed by GL11, to answer queries, offers support, mop up people falling through the gaps, triage and refer to other services, and are also available for community volunteer queries.
· Cotswold Friends in the North Cotswolds have spoken to all clients and volunteers to put in place telephone befriending and shopping services where needed. Befriending volunteers are switching to telephone visits. Over 2000 people have been contacted, coordinated and supported and over the next weeks and months this number will grow
Schools
· Schools are currently managing demand for places from key workers. However, it is important that other options to care for young people are considered to ensure schools can remain resilient
· Communication has gone out to schools from the education department clarifying the Government guidance
· We have set up an email address and phone number to assist parents with any queries
· Adult Education classroom-based provision will cease from today and the same for our subcontractors. Both direct delivery and subcontractors are seeking to continue and extend online and distance learning provision but this is limited, given the nature of some of our customers
· Commercial Road is closed for classroom-based learning sessions for adult education and social work academy provision. We are exploring the implications of offering Commercial Road as a venue for childcare for key workers
National announcements
· Announcement on Friday(20 March) that some business and venues will close from Saturday 21 March to promote social distancing. These include: cafes, restaurants, pubs, entertainment venues, museums, spas, casinos and betting shops, gyms and leisure centres. Local authorities will be responsible for enforcing these regulations.
The NHS in Gloucestershire is taking responsible steps to plan ahead and respond to the unfolding Covid-19 situation. Here is a link to the latest information from the NHS on service advice and developments: NHS update
This will be updated daily, Monday to Friday.
TBC: The waste collection services are currently operating as usual. Information has been included on the advice and support page advising residents what to do with waste if they have COVID-19 symptoms this will be promoted further on social media.
From TBC:
In response to COVID-19 the Government has set out a package of temporary and targeted measures to provide additional support to businesses.
The council is working hard to get guidance out to businesses as soon as it is received, including the additional business rate relief and grant funding package.
The council will be responsible for administering and delivering the following measures which include:
· a 12-month business rates holiday for all retail, hospitality and leisure businesses in England
· a 12-month business rates holiday for childcare providers on Ofsted’s Early Years Register (Early Years Foundations Stage)
· small business grant funding of £10,000 for all business in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief
· grant funding of up to £10,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value of up to £15,000
· grant funding of up to £25,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses with property with a rateable value between £15,000 and £51,000.
Councillor Rob Bird, Lead Member for Economic Development, said: “We are committed to working with our local business community and are working to get information out to you as quickly as possible.
“We are in the process of identifying businesses that qualify for the additional business rate relief and will be contacting eligible businesses to notify them of the relief and will issue revised business rate bills.
“I want reassure businesses that the administration of the business rate reliefs and grant payments is a high priority and that grant payments will be made as soon as the information is available for us to do so.”
It is anticipated that the borough council will administer the grant schemes which have been announced by the Chancellor and we are awaiting further guidance from government on the eligibility and process for this. More information is expected in early April. The council’s website, tewkesbury.gov.uk will be regularly updated as and when further information becomes available.
Other support measures available to businesses include:
• the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme to support long-term viable businesses who may need to respond to cash-flow pressures by seeking additional finance
• a statutory sick pay relief package for SMEs
• the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme
The gov.uk website provides additional information relating to these measures.
We are also providing free support and advice through Tewkesbury Growth Hub -, including a range a of webinar advice sessions, for more info email: tewkesbury@thegrowthhub.biz or telephone 01684 272073.
If you need any further information or help with signposting to appropriate advice and support, call the Economic Development Team on 01684 272249 or email economicdevelopment@tewkesbury.gov.uk
Monday 23rd March 2020:
Join the Leigh Parish Community Facebook page. For now it is a public Facebook page that anyone can view. Posts and comments will be monitored and anything that is not appropriate, will be removed. This will become a closed group once sufficient Parishioners have joined to help keep our local information relevant.
Practical Ideas For Supporting Neighbours and Neighbourhood Watch Members. Please click on the links below.
There have been a multitude of excellent community projects led by the Voluntary and Community Sector, as well as town and parish councils that are supporting and leading the community response to COVID-19. To support this and help fill the gaps, the county have been working with us, neighbouring councils, the police and health partners to develop a Community Help Hub which has been launched today.
There will be four forms on the hub:
1. Can you offer help?
2. Does your neighbour need help?
3. Do you need help?
4. Business/organisations – what support can you provide?
District councils will be emailed the completed forms and asked to match people/volunteers/organisations up to those in need, or refer onto existing projects.
The hub is not providing social care, but more for providing food, walking the dog etc. It is not to replace the fantastic work communities are already doing but adds another tier to it. Parish councils are doing a fantastic job linking members of the community with support mechanisms and this should continue. We are already aware of many of these groups and will add them to the list of groups, organisations or individuals that can offer support and feed this into the hub where necessary. Please continue to let Andy Sanders know of the groups you are working with, and we can get the details logged on the hub as groups that are able to provide support to our residents.
Our approach will be to utilise the hub, together with continuing to work closely with parish councils and our councillors as the best means of identifying where help is needed and matching this up to those that can provide it. As such we are not envisaging sending out leaflets to all households. These can quickly become outdated as information on COVID-19 changes so quickly, and that can make it difficult to determine if those that need help have received what they need.
In consideration of government guidance to stop non-essential contact with others, all Council meetings have been postponed until further notice. This will be reviewed in light of the national picture and government advice.
We will continue to run our core services although these have been prioritised to ensure essential services can function as normally as possible. To minimise the risk of COVID-19 to our staff and customers we are limiting face to face contact as much as possible and have asked that visits are not made to our offices unless it is absolutely essential. Residents can contact us using our website www.tewkesbury.gov.uk or by calling 01684 295010. We have closed our reception desk and have created a self-service desk for customers to contact the department they need to speak to.
Please also note our advice and information centres and tourist information centres are closed until further notice.
We understand this is a worrying time for our residents and businesses alike and are working with the Government to provide funding schemes to support households and businesses further information can be found on the COVID-19 information and support pages on our website. www.tewkesbury.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid19-information-and-support
The HMRC have updated guidance for employers, businesses and employees. It is available at: