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:
Caution urged after lockdown map is unveiled
Somerset’s Director of Public Health has urged people to be ‘cautious and sensible’ after the Government’s roadmap out of lockdown has been revealed.
Trudi Grant has warned that if people act irresponsibly, the risk of virus rates rising sharply again is very real.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson unveiled his plan earlier this week. The first step is the re-opening of schools on 8 March, but the message to stay at home unless journeys are essential will remain.
There will be further relaxations of restrictions no earlier than 29 March, 12 April, 17 May, and 21 June.
But Mr Johnson has made it clear that every step is dependent on tests being met on vaccine targets, infection rates and new coronavirus variants.
Trudi Grant said everyone needs to play their part to make sure these key dates are met, and life can start returning to normal.
Clinton’s Covid catch-up
As the route out of lockdown is on everyone’s minds this week, Clinton Rogers’ Covid Catch-Up film is dedicated to the subject and features an interview with Somerset County Council’s Director of Public Health Trudi Grant who shares some of her thoughts about the months ahead. As always, please do watch and share this film with your networks. You can find it here: https://youtu.be/1YOQ3E-rNrw
New campaign encourages us all to keep going and stay at home
The Government has launched a new campaign encouraging people to keep going and stay at home. It aims to remind people everything they’re doing is helping stop the spread of the virus.
The campaign will run across TV, radio, out-of-home advertising and on social media, reminding people that everything they’ve done – working from home, washing their hands, wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and video calling – is helping stop the spread of coronavirus and new variants.
Surviving Winter appeal raises record-breaking sum
Somerset Community Foundation (SCF) has announced that the 2020/21 Surviving Winter appeal has smashed its target, raising an incredible, record-breaking £160,000, thanks to the generosity of local donors.
The annual appeal encourages those who can afford to, to donate some, or all, of their Winter Fuel Payment. These donations provide funding and support to our older and vulnerable neighbours across Somerset who, this year due to the need to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak, are finding themselves cut off from family and friends, and facing higher than usual costs to heat their homes.
The Surviving Winter team at SCF, and their partners, have been distributing funding across the county to those in need. The appeal aims to support more than 700 people this year, helping to keep them warm, safe, and well.
Getting tested
We have had feedback that it is hard to keep track of all the national and local testing programmes and so we have now brought these together into one page on the Somerset County Council website. We hope this will serve as ‘one stop shop’ for advice on ‘Who, When, Why, How and Where’ people can get tested for Covid-19.