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Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Last updated: 13 May 2020 at 12.45pm

This page provides you with the latest information on Coronavirus (COVID-19). The government is making regular announcements in response to the ongoing outbreak.

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Financial support for residents and businesses

Find out about the council’s financial support for residents and businesses during the coronavirus outbreak by clicking on the image below:

Current situation

The latest guidance from the UK Government is that you should stay at home as much as possible. The reasons you may leave home include:

• for work, where you cannot work from home
  
• going to shops that are permitted to be open - to get things like food and medicine
  
• to exercise or spend time outdoors
  
• any medical need, including to donate blood, avoid injury or illness, escape risk of harm, or to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.
  

Following the government announcement on 10 May, there are a limited number of things you can do now that you could not do before. You can now:

• spend time outdoors – for example sitting and enjoying the fresh air, picnicking, or sunbathing
  
• meet one other person from a different household outdoors - following social distancing guidelines
  
• exercise outdoors as often as you wish - following social distancing guidelines
  
• use outdoor sports courts or facilities, such as a tennis or basketball court, or golf course – with members of your household, or one other person while staying 2 metres apart
  
• go to a garden centre
  

For the latest advice and further guidance and information, visit the government webpages at www.gov.uk/coronavirus

There is a Coronavirus: action plan - A guide to what you can expect across the UK.

Hampshire County Council and health partners continue to keep a close watch on the development of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak – with processes in place to respond if, and when required. For further information, read the most up-to-date information and advice on Hampshire County Council's website.

Symptoms

For information on the symptoms and steps to take, go to www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Reducing the spread

The focus is on good respiratory and hand hygiene and specifically:

• Wash your hands more often and for at least 20 seconds. Take a look at the NHS hand washing technique.
  
• Use soap and water or a hand sanitiser when you: get home or into work; blow your nose, sneeze or cough; and eat or handle food.
  
• Hand sanitiser should be used only when you don’t have access to soap and water- as soap and water remains the best method to maintain hand hygiene.
  
• Hands should be dried thoroughly after washing.

The government advice for reducing the spread of COVID-19 is as follows:

• Continue to wash your hands more often and for 20 seconds. Make sure you cough or sneeze into a tissue, put it in a bin and wash your hands.
  
• Self-isolate if you develop a high temperature or a new continuous cough, however mild.
  
• You should self-isolate for 7 days if you live alone, or 14 days if you live with other people. If anyone in your household is experiencing one of the above symptoms the whole household should self-isolate for 14 days.
  
• Those who are over 70, with an underlying health condition or are pregnant, are strongly advised to significantly limit face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible.
  

For the latest advice for travellers returning from affected areas, visit www.gov.uk/coronavirus

The government has produced specific guidance for employers and businesses on COVID-19 to advise staff about the virus and recommended actions.

Social distancing advice translated into different languages
If you know someone who's first language is not English, they can find out information and advice on social distancing a few different languages by visiting:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people

British Sign Language
Public Health England has released new British Sign Language (BSL) versions of social media assets explaining what to do if you suspect there is a COVID-19 infection in your household.

They have also updated their campaign resource centre with new social distancing animations.

Council meetings - date set for first virtual committee

The council's first virtual committee meeting - a meeting of the Development Control Committee - is set to take place at 2pm on Wednesday 20 May, with a second virtual meeting of the planning committee scheduled for Wednesday 27 May.

The meetings will be held virtually with committee members, council officers and those wanting to speak attending remotely. Allowing residents to watch the committee meetings live, the virtual meetings will be live streamed on the council's website in the same way as they would normally be webcast.

In line with government guidance about the importance of ensuring planning decisions can continue to be made, the council has been focusing first on trialling how Development Control Committee meetings could be run virtually.

After these first meetings, the council will be rescheduling all types of virtual council meetings in line with government guidance and announcements.

Service updates

For the latest updates and further information on how our services have been affected by COVID-19, visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-service-updates

Safe shopping guidance

For the latest guidance for staying safe and protecting others when shopping for essentials through the period of disruption caused by COVID-19, visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-shopping-guidance

Bin collection updates

For the latest bin collection service updates and answers to FAQs visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-bins-and-recycling

Community hub

We are working to coordinate community support during the COVID-19 outbreak, including working with Basingstoke Voluntary Action and setting up a dedicated careline for our vulnerable residents.

For more information on the support available for local communities, including the careline we have set up to support vulnerable residents, please visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-community-hub

Council tax support

Following the government’s announcement of a new Hardship Fund to help vulnerable residents to pay their council tax, the borough council has now received further guidance on these measures and has implemented some changes.

For more information on the changes, please visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-council-tax

Do you know someone who is not online?

Can you help to share important information on how to receive help and support, as well as changes to our services during the COVID-19 outbreak?

If you know someone who is not online like a neighbour, friend or family member, we would greatly appreciate your help to pass on important information. Please visit https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-information-sharing for printable newsletters.

Staying at home during social distancing - noise advice

Everyone is going to be experiencing difficulties and stresses because of the current restrictions on movement, with most people being confined to their homes and where available, gardens, for most of the day for the foreseeable future.

These restrictions are clearly essential to reduce the spread of Coronavirus (COVID-19) and protect everyone’s health and save lives.

For more information on the changes, please visit https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-noise

Support for business

The UK Government has put in place a number of measures to support businesses through the period of disruption caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. You can find out more by visiting www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support

Following the government’s announcement, the borough council has received further guidance and put in place its own measures to support eligible businesses.

For more information on the support offered for businesses, please visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-business-guidance

For more information on the grants available to eligible businesses, please visit www.basingstoke.gov.uk/covid-19-business-support-and-grants

Taxi and private hire drivers
We recognise that the taxi and private hire trades have concerns regarding the possible implications of the outbreak of coronavirus (COVID-19) - please visit https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/COVID-19-licensed-drivers for more advice and information.

Street traders and food services offering a pick-up service
Food services offering a pick-up service may remain operational if they can comply with the government guidance. It is imperative takeaway services adhere to Public Health guidelines including social distancing for staff and customers with regular and thorough cleansing and hand washing. Traders continuing to operate must ensure workers and customers maintain social distancing rules at all times, and adopt business practices to stop the spread of coronavirus to save lives. Please visit https://www.basingstoke.gov.uk/COVID-19-street-traders for more information.

Events

To find service updates from Hampshire County Council, visit their website www.hants.gov.uk.

Statement from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum

Chief Constable Olivia Pinkey, Chair of the Local Resilience Forum

As part of our regular review of the ongoing response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Local Resilience Forum (HIOW LRF) has now declared the Coronavirus outbreak a major incident.

We have already been providing a multi-agency response for a number of weeks and the declaration of a major incident simply means we move to the next phase of our well-rehearsed plans.

This ensures all partners, which includes all the emergency services, can use joint working arrangements to effectively manage, and where possible minimise, the impact of the virus on our population during these unprecedented times.

The HIOW LRF comprises the public sector partners in Hampshire, Portsmouth, Southampton and the Isle of Wight.

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