Dear Reading’s Faith Leaders and Community Leaders,
I hope that you are all keeping safe and keeping warm.
It has been quite a challenging first week into the New Year 2021.
I hope that despite the constraints that we are living under at the moment, we are all able to stay positive and be connected with our communities the best way we can and be strong together.
A few information I would like to share for today:
National Lockdown
As we all know, England has entered another national lockdown on 5 January 2021. This is due to the rapid rising of Covid-19 cases both on national and local level due to the new variant of the virus.
1 in 3 people who has Covid-19 does not have symptoms.
1 in 50 people living in private household has been infected by Covid-19.
Further information is available on the government website here. However, I understand that the government guidelines can be quite confusing so please let me know if you need further assistance.
Places of Worship can open subject to strict health and safety guidance. Further guidance is available here as a reminder.
Colleges, primary and secondary schools will remain open ONLY for vulnerable children and the children of critical workers. The Government has indicated this will be in place until at least February half term. Early Years settings remain open. Higher Education provision will remain online until at least mid-February for all except future critical worker courses.
The Government has announced that there is support available for children who cannot attend school due to Covid-19 and in need of tablets and laptops. The information is here.
BBC TV Education has announced that BBC will deliver the biggest education offer in its history which aims to help home-schooling during the lockdown. The full story is here.
Shielding: those who are identified as Clinically Extremely Vulnerable (CEV) must stay at home and only leave the house to exercise outside and attend medical appointments. Further information is available here.
I'd like to remind everyone of the support available from the One Reading Community Hub to help anyone in need with accessing specialist services, such as urgent food needs or other issues such as debt, loneliness, stress. Please check it here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-one-reading-community-hub-support/
Covid-19 Vaccination
Two vaccines: In addition to the vaccine from Pfizer-BioNtech company, the UK government has currently rolled out vaccination on Covid-19 using the vaccine from AstraZeneca.
Vaccination communication: All communication around the vaccination is led by the NHS. However, you can find information on Covid-19 vaccination plans for Reading via Health Watch Reading website here.
Carer and vaccination: The National Carer Organisations have put together general Q&A information for carers and Covid-19 vaccination plans. (file attached).
There is information on the inclusion of unpaid carers in the vaccination priority list which you can find here.
Q&A on Covid-19 vaccination:
I would like to thank you all for sharing your concerns and feedback in our communities with regards to Covid-19 vaccination.
Our Public Health Consultant, David Munday, has pulled together a document to answers the questions (file attached).
Scams
Please be aware that scams have been circulating around using Covid-19 to scam people. For example: fake URL links claiming to link to GOV.UK website to claim supposed COVID-19 related payment, lockdown fines suggesting you have breached lockdown, offers of health supplements that will prevent you becoming infected, financial support offers that appear to be from your bank. (file attached)
Well-being support
If you are interested to try virtual Yoga class for stress management IRDC Berkshire holds a Zoom session every Sunday at 17:30. (file attached). Please contact Krishna: 07939 665 482
Get Berkshire Active offers free exercise sessions on Zoom specifically for older, frail, less mobile adults which will start next week (file attached). Please contact Kirsty Heath on 07394 564540 or by email at: kirsty.heath@getberkshireactive.org
Reading Borough Council is offering a 4-week FREE training: Helping Hand, Making Every Contact Count. The training is aimed at those who support older or vulnerable adults in person or on the telephone, who may be experiencing health related issues since COVID 19. The training will start on 27 January 2021 via Zoom. (file attached). Booking is essential.
Please contact: Mauricha.White@reading.gov.uk
Compass Recovery College continues to run free mental health and wellbeing course and I encourage you to go and check their website. I am attaching some files for information.
I hope that this information is useful and helpful for you and our communities. Please do share and wide. My apologies if some information may be repetitive.
As usual, do let me know if you have any feedback on the information I have shared. I would love to hear from you.
On the behalf of Reading Borough Council, I would like to thank you all for what you do to support our communities especially at challenging times like today. We all do our parts to keep us safe and well.
I thank you for sharing the information to your contacts and for giving me feedback and sharing with me about the news in our communities.
Have a lovely weekend.
If you do not wish to receive these emails on Covid19 information and communication for faith groups and community groups, please reply telling me you wish not to be contacted.
Best wishes,
Nisa
Covid19 Communication Engagement and Outreach Officer
Public Health and Wellbeing Team
Directorate of Adult Care and Health Services
Reading Borough Council
T: 07815 970 354
Bridge Street, Civic Centre, Reading, RG1 2LU
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