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:
- We created a new section for Donations, finding grants, fundraising and will be adding to this in the next few days. We shared a crowdfunder for welfare and support for local critical care teams which has already hit its target! Please pass on your ideas/information relevant to this topic.
- We shared information on local and national resources around domestic violence and sexual violence, following warnings that “more people may find themselves being victims of domestic abuse under measures designed to stop the spread of coronavirus” (BBC article)
- We added a link to advice for families caring for a child with serious or complex medical needs at home.
- We shared a video on Safe Grocery Shopping
- Don’t miss our website directory of food and other local businesses. As with supermarkets, please leave delivery slots for those of us who are most at risk: people who are “shielding” (find out what “shielding” is, and if you or others you know are among the people who should be shielding)
Call out from the Team
We are still asking anyone involved in a facebook group or neighbourhood/street/road network to help us map which streets have networks. As well as our map of groups, we have a “master map” showing streets which have been leafleted, but we know this doesn’t cover all the areas that have been leafleted or are in groups yet. Download our pdf guide to mapping streets in your area.
Today we’re asking if there is any activity underway in Bussage. We are aware of groups covering Bisley, Chalford, and Eastcombe (eastcombegoodneighbours@gmail.com).
Local updates:
- Doina Cornell, Leader of Stroud District Council, posted information about “Food parcels… being delivered across the UK this weekend to people who must now stay at home for 12 weeks. They are the ‘shielded cohort’: some 1.5m people across the UK have been identified as being most at risk from the coronavirus, for example people recovering from cancer or recipients of organ transplants… in Stroud District, officers in our community response team have now received the information on our own most vulnerable citizens, and will have been contacting them personally over the last few days. The first food parcels will now be arriving, delivered by the fire service, other uniformed officers or food delivery companies. Medicines will be delivered by community pharmacies.”
- A “43 year old [man], was arrested, charged and remanded for assaulting an emergency worker by way of coughing and threatening GBH by infecting with Covid-19” (Stroud News and Journal)
- “There have now been six patients with Covid-19 who have died in Gloucestershire according to official figures… Four patients who had tested positive for Covid-19 died at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital on Saturday”
- “In Gloucestershire, 107 patients have tested positive for coronavirus” – two new cases since yesterday (above both reported in Gloucestershire Live, see link for full story). 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.
National:
- 209 people died in the last 24 hours (lower than Saturday’s record rise of 260). The total number of deaths in the UK is now 1,228.
- “Among those to have died with the virus is Amged El-Hawrani, a 55-year-old doctor and ear, nose and throat trainer at Queen’s Hospital Burton”
- “the number of volunteers who have signed up to help the NHS during the crisis has hit 750,000… three times the initial target. The recruitment drive will now be temporarily paused to enable the Royal Volunteer Service to process the applications.”
- “It could be six months before life in the UK returns to “normal”, England’s deputy chief medical officer has said. Speaking at the government’s daily coronavirus briefing, Dr Jenny Harries added: “This is not to say we would be in complete lockdown for six months.” (above from linked BBC News article)
Global:
- 29,957 people have now died after testing positive for Covid-19 (3,464 people died since yesterday)
- There are 634,835 confirmed cases globally (an increase of 63,159 since yesterday)
- On 27 March, WHO European Region published an article on mental health and psychological resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic; highlighting the potential mental health impacts on children and the elderly.
- (above points from the World Health Organisation (WHO) daily Situation Report)
- Italy: “Italy has said it will extend its month-long lockdown as the number of deaths in the country increased by 756 to reach 10,779. There are now 97,689 confirmed cases in Italy.”
- Nigeria: “Nigeria’s president Muhammadu Buhari has ordered a lockdown in Lagos and the capital city of Abuja, AFP reports. Nigeria has recorded 97 confirmed coronavirus cases and one death.” (via The Guardian)
- Mexico: 130 million citizens asked to stay at home for a month (New York Times).
- Syria: “The Syrian health ministry has announced the first coronavirus death in the country. Four new cases have also been confirmed, pushing the total number of infections to nine” (via The Guardian)
Please remember we have a (growing) list of resources to support your emotional and mental health during this time on our website.