Following yesterday’s government announcement, the country has returned to a full lockdown, including the closure of all schools and colleges, except for the children of key workers or vulnerable children. Those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) have been advised that they will once again be asked to shield and all non-essential retail must close.
Everyone must stay at home only leave if necessary and stay two metres from those not in their household or bubble.
The reasons it is permitted to leave home are 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.
Cllr Stephen Brady, Leader of Hull City Council has urged people to pull together, seek help where it is needed and hold onto a promise of better times on the horizon.
Cllr Brady said: “I am sure many of us are reeling from this announcement. While it is the right thing to do to protect public health and preserve our NHS, the government has left people with little time to plan and adapt. Today, many of you will be facing the isolation of shielding; financial fears; worries about how to teach your children at home. Others will have to continue to go to work while most of us can remain at home. All of us must continue to deal with very limited contact with our loved ones.
“I urge all of you to follow the national instructions and to seek help if you need it – whether financially or for your mental health. I know that you are all tired and that this becomes harder the longer it goes on.
“I want to reassure you that the council was ready for this. There is help available for people and businesses, those of you who need it should get in touch via our website or, if you or someone you know is without a support network and can’t access help online, our COVID-19 support line remains open on (01482) 300 307.
“We should hold onto the hope that with this lockdown we’ll begin to see the end in sight”.
Julia Weldon, Director of Public Health at Hull City Council, said: “It is with an extremely heavy heart that I must once again ask you to follow these directions from government. This is not how any of us had hoped to start the New Year and I know many of you will be struggling with this news for a variety of reasons. All of us face challenges in the coming weeks and we are all already dealing with the toll the past nine months has taken on us.
“I know that you have continued to work hard to protect each other, to follow the rules, to adapt to changes and to do what’s right throughout this pandemic. Our rates right now remain lower than the national average but they are rising and we are yet to see the full impact of any mixing on Christmas day. We know how quickly our local cases can increase – we have seen it happen before, but we have also seen those rates fall again as a result of people pulling together.
“We can and will come out of this. There are better times to come. I would urge all of you to focus on that thought through these next difficult few weeks and to do everything in your power to stay at home and keep yourselves, the NHS and each other safe”.
Full details of the new national advice can be found here: Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance and support – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
For information and support, visit: http://www.hull.gov.uk/coronavirus/coronavirus-community-advice-and-support/coronavirus-support-and-advice
