Today’s daily summary includes:
- Information about updates we’ve made to our website and group
- Call outs for help
- Summary of local news
- Key national/international points
Team updates:
- We created a new unit on campaigns, lobbying and demands – highlighting the open letter calling for “a lockdown and extensive COVID-19 testing: an open letter to the UK government”
- To follow our update on local businesses that can deliver, we published a post outlining the national situation regarding restrictions on opening times and purchases at supermarkets. We want to encourage support for local businesses, but also ensure those self-isolating because they are among those of us more at risk or avoiding spreading the virus know about and have access to both deliveries and special opening times. We emphasise that those of us who are more at risk should be staying at home, and if possible it would only be their supporters using these opening times.
- Yesterday’s Stroud Virus-Safe Torchlight “Procession” was amazingly successful for a first time effort at short notice (see lots of videos in the facebook event discussion) and will be repeated next week at the earlier time of 8pm so more children can take part (and weekly while its still dark at that time!).
- Painswick Coronavirus Community Support Group launched their website and phone-line: “We provide non-emergency practical support to those self-isolating during the coronavirus outbreak. If you need non-emergency practical support: 07956 203 087 or painswick.covid19@gmail.com”
- Don’t forget to check what’s happening where you are in the district via our map – let us know if we’re missing your group!
Call out from the Team
We have a small crew of administrators and moderators and would love some more enthusiastic and meticulous moderators and researchers. We need help with checking submitted posts, updating units, checking comments fit within the guidelines and signposting people to parts of the website/group they may not have seen.]
Local updates:
- “27 reported cases of Covid-19 in Gloucestershire and one patient has died” (Gloucestershire Live). It is important to say that these are confirmed cases only, and that since testing has been suspended for all cases but those needing hospitalisation, we do not have an accurate number for the actual number of cases in the community.
- “Visiting to be banned at Gloucestershire hospitals [including Stroud Hospital and Berkeley House in Stroud] in wake of coronavirus – with only a few exceptions” (Gloucestershire Live)
- Professor Steve Hams, Director of Quality and Chief Nurse at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which manages GRH and CGH, said: “From Monday 23 March we will not allow any visitors unless they have been pre-arranged with the nurse in charge. The number one priority is the health, safety and wellbeing of our patients and staff. We would encourage relatives and friends to please think of other ways of staying in touch with your loved ones such as video calls. We understand that these restrictions will be difficult for some patients and their loved ones but at the same time, I think there will be real understanding of why we are taking this precautionary and responsible step.” (see also this previous Gloucestershire Live article on local NHS measures)
- The Crown and Sceptre on Horns Road has been closed as a pub and turned into a Corner Shop open 3-6pm every day this week “selling Fresh bread from Walkers, Butter Potatoes, Eggs, Cheese and many other products including Take away beer and cider and wine”
- Sound Records – join a (growing) list of local businesses that have had to close their shops – and face an uncertain future. “With a heavy heart we have taken the decision to temporarily close the shop – CORONAVIRUS Is a serious problem and we need to take action against it. For Now – we are Focusing on Online sales and finding creative solutions to be able to get records to our customers – who have really supported us since we opened 2 years ago.”
- Please see our list of local businesses that deliver on our website – and support them if you can, bearing in mind the need to keep deliveries for those of us most at risk or in self-isolation to avoid spreading the virus.
National/International:
- “Italy shuts all non-essential businesses after 793 die in one day” [“more than 6,500 people were being confirmed to have the virus”. It is constantly worth emphasising that two weeks ago the number of cases in Italy was 2,502, fewer than half the number of confirmed cases in the UK today 22nd March: 5,683]
- “The death toll in Spain climbed past 1,700 people, exceeding the official figures of more than 1,600 killed in Iran” (above from this report in The Guardian)
- Globally there have been 11,184 deaths (1,344 more deaths yesterday)
- Globally there are now: 266,073 confirmed cases (+32,000 since yesterday)
- Both figures above from today’s World Health Organisation Situation Report.
Please remember we have resources and information about looking after your emotional and mental health at this time on our website: neighbournetworks.uk/
If you submit posts to the Stroud Coronavirus Community Response group, we will often decline posting them to the discussion directly and instead hold them till the single daily summary – to try to reduce the number of posts in the feed and make it easier for people to manage the volume of information. Please continue to submit posts to admins for this purpose.
Apologies if we missed anything-please submit again or post in the comments below