“Families SW London” continue to help local parents in these difficult times — providing useful information and ways to put parents in touch with local businesses.
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I was in touch with Nigel Carpenter, CEO of Spires, recently
to find out how they are coping during the lockdown restrictions and this is
what he told me:
"The last few
months have been a challenging time for us all, not least for those without a
place to call home.
We maintained
contact with many of the vulnerable women who use our services. We provided
emotional support to those who were isolated and lonely, and practical support,
by way of regular food parcels, for those at the highest risk from a Covid
infection.
On Monday evening, the Prime Minister announced a new national lockdown in response to the high rise in the cases of Covid-19 across the UK. This means major restrictions on all of our lives, and a switch back to the “stay at home” requirement that was in place last spring. This is an even more challenging time than the first wave of Covid-19, with more cases of the virus and more people in hospital, we are therefore being asked to stay at home.
The new restrictions allow people to leave home only to:
·
Go to work if you absolutely cannot work from
home
·
Exercise once a day in your local area
· Seek medical care or avoid injury, illness or
risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
·
Care for vulnerable people or to provide or seek
childcare
·
And for a small number of other exemptions
listed at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Primary and secondary schools have switched to remote
learning apart from for vulnerable children and the children of key workers and
this is in place until at least February half-term.
Please continue to follow the public health advice:
Wear a mask, stay
at least 2 metres distance from anyone not in your household and wash your
hands regularly.
If you have symptoms, please follow the NHS advice and get a
test. The council has also now rolled out testing for those without symptoms in
sites across Lambeth – you can find out more here.
Stay safe, stay at home and together we will get through the
coming months
Useful contacts:
You can access support for yourself or a vulnerable person,
whether on mental health, finances, employment or support for young people on the
council website: https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19
The Lambeth Larder website has an extensive directory of organisations
and local community groups which can offer help, support & advice: www.lambethlarder.org
If you need to contact the council regarding services, Lambeth
residents can contact the main contact centre on 020 7926 1000. If a face to
face appointment is essential it can be arranged via 020 7926 9094, or by
emailing lambethcustomerservices@lambeth.gov.uk
If someone you know requires urgent support please see the
council’s Coronavirus (Covid-19) get
urgent help for you or someone you know webpage.
The NHS is still open. All residents are urged to continue
to access the NHS services that they may need including urgent and emergency
services. You can access NHS services via the NHS App or www.nhs.uk/health-at-home.
This article can be found at: https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/book-rapid-covid-19-test-if-you-have-no-symptoms?medium=email&source=GovDelivery
Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any
symptoms, but they can still pass it on. You can get a quick free test at
a local site in Lambeth to check if you have Covid-19, with results
usually returned to you within an hour.
These rapid tests are an important part of reducing the
spread of Covid-19 in Lambeth as it will help to identify people who do not
have Covid-19 symptoms but who are infectious and could spread the infection to
others unknowingly. By getting tested and self-isolating if you have
Covid-19, you can save lives and protect the NHS.
Who can get a rapid Covid-19 test
You can get a free rapid Covid-19 test if:
§
You have no Covid-19 symptoms
§
You live or work in Lambeth
§
You are over 18
We are particularly encouraging people who are at higher
risk of being exposed to Covid-19 to get tested. This includes people
who work in certain sectors, such as construction,
education, emergency
services, hospitality, leisure, personal care,
frontline public sector roles, retail and transport. This
list is not exhaustive, and you do not need to prove you work in one of these
roles to get a test.
Who cannot get a rapid Covid-19 test
You cannot get a rapid Covid-19 test if:
§
You have Covid-19 symptoms
§
You are under 18
§
You do not live or work in Lambeth
If you have symptoms you should book a test
through GOV.UK or
by calling 119. The symptoms are a high
temperature (fever), a new continuous cough, and loss or change to
your sense of smell or taste.
When and where to get a test
Currently, you can get a test at the following
locations:
Lambeth Town Hall, open from 9am to 4.20pm
Brixton Windmill, open from 9am to 3.30pm
Brockwell Park, open from 9am to 3.30pm
You can get tested again after 7 days.
How to book a test
You must book a test in advance; we do not accept
walk-in requests.
Book
a Covid-19 test if you have no symptoms
You must not attend your appointment if you have any
symptoms of Covid-19.
You should attend your appointment on time to allow for safe
registration and testing. If you are late, the centre will try to accommodate
you, but we might have to rebook a new appointment if the centre is busy.
What to bring with you to the appointment
You should bring:
§
confirmation of your booking - the
confirmation email on your mobile device or printed out
§
a mobile device to scan a QR or bar code on the
test. There will be devices available if you don’t have your own
§
a face covering (unless you are exempt)
§
you may also want to bring a bottle of water, as
we cannot provide water at the test site.
§
do plan ahead - there are no toilet facilities
at the test site
How the test works
The test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose
and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud. You can do the swab
yourself, but there will be trained staff available if you need
support. You can watch a video for a
detailed explanation of the procedure.
Once you have finished, the swab will be processed and
analysed. Once the test is done, the swab is discarded.
The rapid test is called a ‘lateral flow test’ -
it does not need to be sent away to a lab and provides results very quickly,
within an hour. More information about how
Lateral Flow tests work, their safety and
the validation process which they were subject to by Public Health
England and scientists from Oxford University before being approved
for use across the country, is available on the Public
Health England website.
Getting your test results
§
Results will be sent to you the same
day via text message and/or email using the contact details you provided
when booking your appointment.
§
The results are usually available within an hour
– sometimes as fast as 30 minutes.
§
You do not need to self-isolate whilst waiting
for the test results, unless you develop symptoms of Covid-19.
If you get a positive result
You must self-isolate immediately and book another test with
the national testing service. This is called a ‘PCR test’ and it will be
analysed by a lab to confirm the result of your first, rapid test.
To book a test, visit GOV.UK or call
119.
If you are out or at work when you get your result please
make your way home. Avoid using public transport if possible. If you are at
work please inform your line manager immediately so that they can initiate
their organisation's risk management plan – cleaning your work station for
example.
Until the results of the second test are known, you and your
household should self-isolate. Full
guidance on how to self-isolate is available
on GOV.UK.
You might be eligible for support to self-isolate
Self-isolating is essential to preventing the spread of
Covid-19 in the community. The government has made a £500
support package available for eligible people.
If you get a negative result
You do not need to self-isolate, unless you have
developed Covid-19 symptoms, live with someone who has tested positive for
Covid-19 or have been asked to self-isolate by NHS test and trace.
However, a negative result does not fully rule out Covid-19
infection as there can sometimes be false negative lateral flow tests. This
means you could still have the infection, but the test didn’t pick it up. This
can happen because these tests only turn positive when there is a lot
of virus growing in your nose and throat.
This means that even after a negative
test, to protect yourself and others, you must keep following
the current
restrictions and remember: Hands. Face. Space.
Hands – wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and
water often, and as soon as you get home - use hand sanitiser gel if soap and
water are not available.
Face – wear a face-covering in indoor settings where
social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact
with people you do not normally meet.
Space – stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do
not live with, or who is not in your support bubble.
You cannot purchase these tests
The UK Government has been purchasing testing kits for the
public to use at approved local sites. The kits are not currently available to
purchase on the market.
The tests we provide at our testing sites are totally free
of charge.
There is a new variant of the corona-virus which increases the transmission rate. Today the Government have announced that Tier 4 restrictions come into force in London and the south-east from 12.01 on Sunday morning.
Given the
early evidence on the new variant of the virus, the potential risk means Christmas
can no longer go ahead as planned
Those in
tier 4 areas should not mix with anyone outside their household at Christmas,
though support bubbles will remain in place.
Across the
rest of the country, up to three households can meet but this will be limited
to Christmas Day only, rather than the five days previously set out.
There will
be no relaxation on the 31 December, so people must not break the rules for new
year’s.
Tier 4
restrictions are broadly equivalent to the national restrictions brought in
during November.
In tier 4:
·
Residents
must stay at home, apart from limited exemptions
·
Non-essential
retail, indoor gyms and leisure facilities and personal care services must
close
·
People
must work from home if they can, unless this is not possible eg manufacturing
and construction sectors
·
People
should not enter or leave tier 4 areas
·
Tier
4 residents must not stay overnight away from home
·
You
can only meet one person from another household in an outdoor public space
· Communal worship can continue to take place
·
The
new variant is concentrated in tier 4 areas, he says, but is nonetheless
present around the country.
·
Everyone
in all tiers must stay local, he says.
·
Carefully
consider whether you need to travel abroad, Johnson says, and follow the rules
in your tier.
·
Those
in tier 4 will not be permitted to travel abroad, apart from limited exceptions
such as for work purposes.
This week’s news
Firstly, we would like to wish a warm welcome to PC Jack Sharp, the new police officer for Streatham Hill, and PC Bola Adebakin, who will be working on Streatham Wells.
An update about the 13 year old boy who was attacked outside Dunraven School on Wednesday 25 November: he was put in an induced coma at the time but today has been awake and talking. We send him our very best wishes and hope he makes a speedy recovery. The suspect remains in police custody at this stage.
A bike was stolen from the communal area on Madeira Road. PCSO Reynolds and PC Pearl found the bike and checked the report to find out who the owner was. It was returned to them soon afterwards.
PC Takenaka handled a neighbourhood dispute which ended up with the suspect being interviewed for a public order offence.
PC Pearl had some good information from residents regarding drug dealing in Fernwood Avenue. He conducted some patrols there and believes that he disturbed a drug dealer who was about to come and sell drugs.
Officers were called to Copley Park by Lambeth Council with regards to a vulnerable lady being targeted by a rogue trader. The suspect is 5’ 9” tall, with white thinning hair. He tells people that he is an antique dealer. He could be targeting other people around that area.
Crime Advice
There has been an increase in bike crime and breaking into sheds. Please make sure your property is secure. Where bikes are concerned, please lock them up securely. A “D” lock is one of the best cycle locks you can buy. You can also invest in a shed alarm which can be fitted to make you shed secure.
Covid-19 Advice
Please ensure you follow the latest Government guidelines. Please see post below on the Tier 2 rules. This will help the NHS and other key workers stay as safe as possible so they can continue their amazing work to keep us safe.
Everyone can help to control the virus by staying alert and taking precautions to protect themselves and others. As well as the above, please remember you should:
· Hands: wash your hands regularly and thoroughly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds throughout the day or use
hand sanitiser if you cannot do this.
· Face: wear a face mask or face covering over your nose and mouth on public transport, if you are staff or a customer in shops, taxis, bars
and restaurants and in any confined spaces and anywhere else where social
distancing is difficult.
· Space: keep your distance inside and
outside - stay at least two meters away from anyone outside your household or 1
metre with a face covering or other precautions.
· Get a test: if you are feeling unwell and have symptoms.
If you have a positive test result, isolate immediately with members of
your household for 10 days. Do not leave home if you or anyone in your
household has symptoms. You can visit the NHS website to book a test or
alternatively call 111 for advice.
Remember that everyone can help to control the virus by staying alert, following the rules and taking precautions to protect themselves and others.
Ø wash hands frequently
with soap and water or use a sanitiser gel.
Ø catch coughs and
sneezes with disposable tissues.
Ø throw away used
tissues and then wash your hands.
Ø if you don’t have a
tissue, use your sleeve.
Ø avoid touching your
eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
Ø avoid close contact
with people who are unwell.
The most important thing is regular and thorough hand washing, preferably with soap and water. Coronavirus spreads when an infected person coughs or sneezes small droplets – packed with the virus – into the air. These droplets can be breathed in and cause an infection if you touch a surface they have landed on then touch your eyes, nose or mouth.
Coughing and sneezing into tissues, not touching your face with unwashed hands, and avoiding close contact with infected people are important to stop the spread of the disease and to keep everyone safe.
Contact Details for the Streatham Safer Neighbourhood Teams
The contact details for the four Streatham Safer Neighbourhood Teams are below:
|
Team |
Telephone |
Email |
Twitter |
|
Streatham
Wells |
0750
098 2773 |
@MPSStreathamWells |
|
|
St
Leonards |
0792
023 3841 |
@MPSStLeonards |
|
|
Streatham
South |
0792
023 3834 |
@MPSStreathamSth |
|
|
Streatham
Hill |
0792
023 3842 |
@MPSStreathamHill |
Hands
→
Face
→
Space
Stay alert → Control the Virus → Save Lives
Stay safe everyone !
These are the Tier 2 rules for London, starting Wednesday 2 December:
Meeting others remains restricted
Read more on restrictions on businesses and venues in Tier 2 areas
This Christmas is still going to be very different to previous years.
The Government has announced that between Wednesday 23 and Sunday 27 December you can form an exclusive “Christmas bubble”. These can include people from a maximum of three households and they must be exclusive. If you are travelling to Northern Ireland, you may also travel on the 22 and 28 December in addition to the other days.
When deciding how you want to spend Christmas you should remember that the more people that mix from different households, the more likely it is that you or someone else will catch or spread coronavirus. This puts yourself, your family, friends and communities at risk, undoing all of our efforts to bring down cases.
Consider the risks carefully before agreeing to form a Christmas bubble. Especially if you are thinking about meeting up with vulnerable people or would need to travel a long distance. You should try and keep your Christmas bubble as small as possible. Do what is best and safest for you and your loved ones.
