Covid-19 Information

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Covid-19 Information

The Parish Council have created this page so that useful information can be stored in an easily remembered place.

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 25^th 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 5^th 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 19^th 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.”

To apply for a business support grant please visit: https://covid19.tewkesbury.gov.uk/covid19-business-grants

Friday 18th December 2020:

Key messages

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 12^th 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

Cirencester

Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS

Cheltenham

University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH

Bishops Cleeve

Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG

Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG

Cinderford

Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ

Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ

Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE

Winchcombe

Sudeley Castle, Castle Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD

Stroud

Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH

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 14^th 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 28^th 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

Cirencester

Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS

Cheltenham

University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH

Bishops Cleeve

Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG

Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG

Cinderford

Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ

Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ

Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE

Winchcombe

Sudeley Castle, Castle Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD

Stroud

Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH

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. (15^th-21^st Nov 2020 inclusive)

In week 46 (Saturday 7^th 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

Cirencester

Royal Agricultural University, Stroud Road, Cirencester, GL7 6JS

Cheltenham

University Of Gloucestershire, Entrance 3, Park Campus, The Park, Cheltenham, GL50 2RH

Bishops Cleeve

Cheltenham North RFC, Stoke Orchard Road, Bishops Cleeve, GL52 7DG

Tewkesbury

Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG

Cinderford

Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ

Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ

Hartpury University & Hartpury College, Gloucester GL19 3BE

Winchcombe

Sudeley Castle, Castle Street, Winchcombe, GL54 5JD

Stroud

Stratford Park Leisure Centre, Stratford Road, Stroud, GL5 4AH

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 email tewkesbury@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.
Ofsted highlight county council’s response to Covid-19
Almost £1.2million secured for cycling and walking in Gloucestershire – Emergency Active Travel Fund update.

Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:

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 31^st 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.
Going to school is best for children’s wellbeing and future
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

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			x
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Cinderford Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
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  

Friday 30th October 2020:

Key messages:

No child will go hungry in Gloucestershire

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.
Covid-19: Care homes and my recommendation to suspend visiting – Sarah Scott, Director of Public Health at Gloucestershire County Council, addresses some of your concerns and anxieties around the recent recommendation to suspend care home visiting.

Gloucestershire Covid-19 stats:

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

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			x							x
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Cinderford Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
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.

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Please remember to visit the following websites for the latest and trusted information:

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

www.tewekesbury.gov.uk/coronavirus

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.

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

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
Tewkesbury Tewkesbury RFC, Gander Lane, Tewkesbury, GL20 5PG	x	x	x	x		x	x	x
Cinderford Cinderford RFC, Dockham Rd, Cinderford GL14 2AQ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Dursley Rugby Club, Hounds Green, Dursley GL11 6AJ	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
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.
Using its powers under Covid-19 regulations, the county council will be blocking the planned Stow Horse Fayre from going ahead next week.
£300,000 investment to boost Covid enforcement work across the county
E-scooters are now available in Cheltenham and Gloucester centres as part of a goverment trial to help mitigate the reduced availability of spaces on public transport due to Covid-19.
Extra £6.6m to help county’s care providers prevent the spread of Covid-19
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