New 119 Phone Number for Testing People with Covid-19 Symptoms

Testing of people with Covid-19 symptoms - new 119 phone number

Anyone over the age of 5 with symptoms of Covid-19 as well as people living in the same household can request a test. You can drive to a testing centre or request a home testing kit. The service is often busy and sometimes you might find there are no slots available, but bookings re-open each morning.

Find out more about Covid-19 testing here

119 is a new national number to call if you do not have internet access to book a test. With wider access to testing, the NHS is asking everyone to only request a test if you or someone you live with have symptoms now. The tests are still only showing if you have the virus - not if you have had it and may have developed immunity.

Coping with Covid-19 continues

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced all hospital visitors and outpatients will have to wear face coverings from today (Monday 15th June), and all staff will have to wear surgical masks at all times in all areas.

You can find full details of his announcement here

Modest changes to guidance for those people identified as extremely vulnerable (shielding)
The government updated guidance for those shielding on 1st June. People identified as extremely vulnerable should continue to shield until at least 30th June but from 1st June they can:

• Spend a short period of time outdoors each day with members of their household, still maintaining 2M distance from others.

• If the shielded person lives alone, the government is advising they can meet one other person from a different household, maintaining strict social distancing.

• Apart from going outside once per day, a shielded person should continue to avoid all non-essential face-to-face contact. This means they should still not go shopping or to pharmacies.

Continued social isolation, a reduction in physical activity and changes in routine can all contribute to increased stress. It is important that you take care of your mind as well as your body and that you get further support if you need it. The support for shielded people remains in place and unchanged.

More details can be found here

NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
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New Clothes & Shoes Recycling Banks in Rainham

6 new textile banks have opened across Medway.

New clothes and shoes recycling banks have been added to the existing paper, card and glass banks at Longley Road Car Park, Rainham Shopping Centre ME8 7HW.

Recycling across Medway has increased by around 30% compared to this time last year.

For details of recycling points across Medway, visit: https://bit.ly/2C98Bxb

Upchurch Matters
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Urgent Road Closure - High Street, Sittingbourne

Kent County Council gives notice that High Street, Sittingbourne will be closed to through traffic, on Monday 15th June 2020 between the times 10:00hrs to 16:00hrs for a period of up to 21 days.

 

High Street, Sittingbourne will be closed from the existing gate near the junction with Station Street to the junction with Central Avenue.

 

This temporary restriction will be in operation from Monday to Thursday only, in conjunction with the existing 07:00hrs to 17:00hrs permanent traffic restrictions already in place on High Street and Central Avenue on Friday and Saturdays.

 

There are no alternative routes available.

 

This restriction is necessary to enable Swale Borough Council to put in place various social distancing measures to assist in the reopening of Sittingbourne Town Centre following the Covid-19 lockdown.

For information regarding this closure please contact Kent County Council on:

03000 418181 (9:00am - 5:00pm)
03000 419191 (5:00pm - 9:00am)

For details of roadworks see: https://one.network

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
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Permission Refused for New Homes and Public Spaces at Pump Lane, Rainham

Decision

Medway Council has refused outline planning application MC/19/1566 for redevelopment of land off Pump Lane, Rainham to include residential development comprising of approximately 1,250 residential units, a local centre, a village green, a two form entry primary school, a 60 bed extra care facility, an 80 bed care home and associated access.

The council's outline refusal can be read at >> https://bit.ly/2Yu27QN

Upchurch Matters

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Swale Borough Council - Helping High Streets Reopen Safely

Sittingbourne High Street - John Salmon

Shoppers are being welcomed back to our high streets from Monday as non-essential retailers reopen their doors.

Swale Borough Council is supporting local shops by putting in place measures so people feel confident they can safely come back to our high streets.

Things won’t be the same as normal, as people need to maintain social distancing. Individual shops must have plans to manage how people can socially distance inside their premises, and in any queues outside along their frontage.

The council will be supporting local retailers with a range of measures to encourage people to maintain social distancing as part of a campaign welcoming shoppers back to our high streets, and encouraging people to be kind, be patient and be safe.

People will be encouraged to follow a one-way system as much as possible with markings on the pavements in the busiest areas.

Street furniture and car park machinery will be cleaned daily, with signage installed around them to remind people to social distance.

There will also be real time monitoring of the town centres by CCTV cameras, to give an overview of activity in the local areas.

Cllr Monique Bonney, cabinet member for economy and property at the council, said:

“It’s encouraging that local shops will be able to open their doors again, but we have to make sure it’s safe and people feel comfortable visiting them again.

But it won’t be the same shopping experience as usual as shops will have measures in place to keep customers and their staff safe.

This will probably mean queues inside and outside shops, particularly at busy times, so we want people to be kind and courteous.

It’s been a tough few months for a lot of people and you don’t know what the person in front of you has gone through. We’re famous for queueing, so it would be great if people used it as an opportunity to say hello to someone in the queue with them - you might be the first person they’ve spoken to in a while!

People need to be patient as it might take a bit longer to shop. This will be new for the staff in the shop too, and any changes are for good safety reasons.

On narrow paths and in doorways, please wait at a distance for others to go past so they don’t feel uncomfortable about getting too close.

It is important people stay safe. We need to keep socially distancing, washing our hands and consider wearing facemasks.

This is new for us all, it will take a bit of time to bed in, so we need to be adaptable. Things may change and we’ll have to react to that, but we need to support our local high streets, they are very important.

The last thing we want is a second wave, so we all need to do our bit and work together to prevent that, so please, be kind, be patient, and be safe.”

The council is hand-delivering letters to shops in high streets to let them know about the changes, providing posters and signs for their windows, and encouraging them to get in touch to highlight any issues they are facing.

For more information about the work being done to support shops reopening, visit www.swale.gov.uk/back-to-business

Swale Borough Council

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Road Surface Improvement - A2 High Street, London Road, Hartlip Hill, London Road, Newington, Hartlip, Upchurch

Road surface improvement works are programmed to start on Thursday 25th June 2020 and should take 5 days to complete (including the weekend). Work will take place during a working window between 7:00am and 7:00pm.

Residents and businesses nearby may experience some disruption, which KCC will try to keep to a minimum. Pavements will remain open at all times, but vehicle access to properties will need to be restricted for a short period while work is carried out in front of each property.

If you have any particular access needs, please let the workforce on site know and they will do their best to help you.

If your vehicle is usually parked on the carriageway, please make sure you park it somewhere else away from the site whilst the works are carried out, so the road is clear to resurface.

These dates are subject to change at short notice due to weather conditions and unforeseen circumstances.

For information, please contact Kent County Council on: 03000 418181, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.

For details of roadworks see: https://one.network

Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste

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