All our help and information for 13/08/2020 is now available in a single place on the SCC website https://www.somerset.gov.uk/coronavirus/covid-19-latest-advice/
This page is refreshed through the day so please check in regularly to keep across developments and news.
Top stories today:
Car sharing: follow the golden rules
Commuters planning to car share as they head back to work are being advised to follow the golden rules to keep them and their passengers protected from coronavirus.
People should limit sharing their car to people within their household or social bubble. But if that’s impossible they should:
- share the transport with the same people each time
- keep to small groups of people at any one time
- open windows to allow air to circulate
- travel side by side or behind other people, rather than facing them, where possible
- face away from each other
- try to keep as much distance as possible between each other
The driver should wear a face covering and ask their passengers to follow suit.
NHS Test and Trace service
The Government has announced that NHS Test and Trace and Public Health England (PHE) will extend its partnership with councils to reach more people testing positive and their contacts to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Local areas will be provided with dedicated ring-fenced teams from the national service. These teams of NHS Test and Trace contact tracers will focus their work on specific areas, alongside the relevant local public health officials.
Funding to help Somerset hospitals cope with winter demand
NHS trusts in Somerset have been allocated nearly £2million to upgrade their facilities ahead of winter.
Health leaders in Somerset have welcomed the announcement, which comes as Somerset experiences increasing levels of demand for local urgent and emergency care services.
Social enterprises invited to join regional network
Social enterprises in Devon and Somerset have praised a partnership that has supported them during the Covid-19 pandemic – and now they are encouraging others to sign up.
The Enhance Social Enterprise Network Devon & Somerset was created to support the development of social enterprises across Devon, Plymouth, Torbay and Somerset following funding from the European Regional Development Fund.
Join the shout out for Somerset businesses
Tomorrow – Friday – at 8am you can join the County Council’s social media shout out in support of our local businesses. Many local businesses have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic, which is why we are running our campaign Love Somerset, Buy Local to support local small and micro businesses in Somerset. This is in addition to the government’s current Shop Local campaign.
Join the shout out and voice your support:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/SomersetCouncil
Facebook: www.facebook.com/somersetcountycouncil
Instagram: www.instagram.com/somersetcouncil