New National Lockdown

On Monday 4 January, the Prime Minister announced a new national lockdown.

This means you must not leave your home except where necessary and schools across the country will close.

Leaving home

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

• shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
• go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
• exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
• meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• attend education or childcare - for those eligible

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

We are in the process of working through what this means in detail and we will update residents as soon as possible about the help and support that will be made available.

In the meantime, please heed the advice to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

For updated government information please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home#summary-what-you-can-and-cannot-do-during-the-national-lockdown 

 

Using the NHS and other health services during coronavirus

While everyone is being told to stay at home, it can be hard to know what to do if you're feeling unwell or have a concern about your health.

It's important to:

• get medical help if you think you need it
• keep any appointments or procedures you have booked – unless you’re told not to go
• go to hospital if you’re advised to

NHS services have made changes to make sure it's safe for you to be seen during coronavirus. There are also ways to get medical help and prescriptions online or over the phone.

• For help from a GP – use your GP surgery's website, use an online service or app, or call the surgery.
• For urgent medical help – Think 111 First.  Use the NHS 111 online service, or call 111 if you're unable to get help online.
• For life-threatening emergencies – call 999 for an ambulance.

For further information visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/social-distancing/using-the-nhs-and-other-health-services/