The prime minister, Boris Johnson, will address the UK on new measures to tackle the coronavirus outbreak in a statement from No 10 at 8.30pm.
This update is being issued before the PM’s address, which we will cover tomorrow
Today’s update includes:
- Information about changes we’ve made to our group and website
- A call out for help
- Summary of local news
- Key national/international points
Team updates:
- Nadin Hadi, who started this Group, is taking a step back and will no longer be an Admin.
“It’s been a privilege to get this up and running and a hell of a hello to my new home town. Much love and respect for the volunteer team who joined me to make it happen. You’re in good hands with them and I hope some of you step up to support them in the running of this Group. I may come back in at some point, but right now I need to take a break from social media and coronaland. Stay safe, stay inside.”
- Sarah Dixon, another member of our admin team, created a video guide to our group. Please watch!
- On the first day where schools are closed for most children, we posted some great advice for people whose children are at home more from Local Educator and Psychotherapist Jo McAndrews. This sits in our unit on Education, Schools, and Children which has many more resources that may be of use to parents at this time.
- We updated our post on supermarkets so it includes details of restricted opening times for NHS workers.
- We shared a great video from Belfast Health and Social Care NHS Trust, on why we should all “Stay at home to save lives”
- We added a link to government information for those of us who are “extremely vulnerable” to the virus.
- We tidied up some of the posts in our units – including “I think I have coronavirus – help!”
- Chalford Community Coronavirus Support now have a website, as well as a Chalford facebook group.
- Edge and Pitchcombe also have a webpage and their coordinators can offer support – they are building a network of volunteers
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:
- “Renishaw has closed one of the buildings at its New Mills headquarters [for a deep clean] after an employee tested positive for COVID-19 coronavirus.” (Stroud News and Journal). The article mentions “Contact tracing has been undertaken and any employees who had contact with the affected person over the past seven days are now in self-isolation. The affected employee is now recovering at home”.
- “in Gloucestershire 32 patients have tested positive for Covid-19” (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.
- Stroud Town Council announced formal closure of play areas – including those at: Daisy Bank, Uplands Playing Field, Park Gardens and The Leazes. They say “The parks will remain open to allow people who are not self-isolating to get some fresh air and exercise, but we would urge people to follow government advice on social distancing”.
- “Winstones Ice Cream shop on Rodborough Common has closed after crowds were spotted queueing outside yesterday” (Stroud News and Journal)
- “Gloucester Car Boot and Flea Market closed down over fears for public health… Eastgate Market will also be closed after today.” (Gloucestershire Live)
National/International:
- The UK now has 5,687 cases (up 669 on yesterday), and 281 people have died (48 people died yesterday)
- 1.5 million of most vulnerable and at-risk among us are being urged to stay inside for 12 weeks. “The NHS will contact the elderly and those with serious health conditions by post tomorrow then, followed by a text and phone call, urging them to stay home. Medicines will be delivered by community pharmacists, while military personnel are helping to coordinate plans to deliver groceries with local councils and supermarkets.” (Telegraph report)
- The Guardian reported that “The government does not have the ability to send advice on coronavirus directly to Britons’ mobile phones, after repeatedly ignoring its own findings that an emergency messaging system could help the country in times of crisis.”
- “Dominic Raab advises all Britons abroad to return to UK now” (Guardian report)
- “All jury trials in England and Wales suspended” (Gloucestershire Live report)
- “London’s ExCeL centre will be turned into a makeshift 4,000-bed “field hospital” under NHS plans to cope when the peak of the coronavirus epidemic” (Guardian report, which also mentions “There is also speculation that the coming peak of the coronavirus epidemic could force the NHS to also use the O2 concert arena”)
- The global death toll passes 15,000, and number of cases passed 300,000 (World Health Organisation daily Situation Report).
- The World Health Organisation (WHO) warns spread of the virus is accelerating
- “France now has 19,856 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 3,176 more than the previous day, and the death toll from the virus has reached 860, a jump of 186 in 24 hours” (Guardian update). On March 15th, France had 4,523 cases – fewer than the UK has just over a week later (5,687).
Please remember we have a (growing) list of resources to support your emotional and mental health during this time on our website.
If you submit posts, 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.