All our help and information 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.
Public Health dashboard: Detailed Public Health information dashboards are available on our website www.somerset.gov.uk/coronavirus just scroll down to ‘Covid-19 dashboard’. These are updated daily.
Top stories today:
Vaccinations open to next two priority groups
Thanks to the efforts of hundreds of GPs, nurses, vaccinators, administrators, marshals and volunteers, the Somerset COVID-19 vaccination programme has offered a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to the most vulnerable residents across Somerset.
Vaccinations have now opened to people in the next two priority groups. They are those aged 65 – 69 (group 5) and those aged 16 – 65 who have specific underlying health conditions (group 6) as identified by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation that increases their risk of serious illness from COVID-19. At the same time, we are also inviting anyone from the first four priority groups who still wants to get their vaccination, to book an appointment.
In Somerset, we are inviting those aged over 65 to book an appointment at a large vaccination centre (at Taunton Racecourse or the Bath & West Showground) or a pharmacy-led hub in the county, situated in Taunton, Yeovil or Bruton. GP practices will contact those who have been identified with a specific underlying health condition, to invite them to book at a GP-led hub.
For more information on the NHS vaccination in Somerset please visit: https://www.somersetccg.nhs.uk/health/local-services/health-services-during-coronavirus/covid-19-vaccinations-in-somerset/
£400k boost for vital Citizens Advice services
A group of Somerset charities which provide free, confidential, and impartial advice on everything from money and employment to housing and relationships has been awarded a grant of £400,000 by Somerset County Council.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Citizens Advice services in Somerset have stepped up the services offered through their freephone Adviceline, with face-to-face appointments and drop-ins scaled back.
The charities are expecting demand for services to rise exponentially over the next 12 months, particularly as the furlough scheme ends and eviction proceedings recommence.
Applications open for support with Easter holiday activities
Somerset County Council has joined up with Somerset Activity and Sports Partnership (SASP) to organise a programme for the forthcoming Easter holidays aimed at countering the triple inequalities facing Somerset’s most disadvantaged young people – holiday hunger, physical inactivity, and social isolation.
The County Council has already confirmed it will continue to fund Free School Meals provision for vulnerable families over the Easter holidays.
Now, in an initiative funded by the Department for Education, existing or prospective organisers of holiday activity programmes can access funding to deliver daily, four-hour programmes where young people in receipt of free school meals will be able to take part in a range of food, sports and cultural activities, and receive advice on nutrition and cooking skills.
Hands, face, space advice still vital
The coronavirus vaccine is designed to prevent serious illness and death from Covid-19. However, even if you have had the vaccine, you can still catch it and might still be able to pass it on, so the hands, face, space guidance must still be followed to protect yourselves and others.
Please remember – and share with others that if you haven’t had a vaccine yet, if you have had one dose of the vaccine, if you have had two doses of the vaccine, the message is the same, we all need to STAY AT HOME where possible and keep following the HANDS FACE SPACE guidance to keep ourselves and others safe.
Coronavirus home testing kits easier to order
The Government has announced that it has introduced improvements to the home testing programme to make it easier to get tested.
They include:
- People who do not have access to the internet can now order home testing kits over the phone by calling 119, without needing an email address or any other digital requirement
- A new NHS Test and Trace partnership with Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) to improve the home testing service for people with visual impairments
- A new video-call support service with specially trained NHS Test and Trace staff that will help people with vision impairments to test at home