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COVID-19 CASES IN WILTSHIRE ARE STILL HIGH

WEAR MASKS IN SHOPS

OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING.

WASH YOUR HANDS GET VACCINATED

SEE INFORMATION FROM WILTSHIRE COUNCIL BELOW

TO PROTECT RESIDENTS AND STAFF PLEASE CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK IN VILLAGE SHOPS AND OBSERVE SOCIAL DISTANCING EVEN OUTSIDE. THIS VIRUS IS DEADLY AND TRANSMITS VERY READILY.

Local hospitality venues now open

Ramsbury British Legion open for tea/coffee cake sandwiches Mon-Sat 10am -2.00 Sun 10am-4 pm

The audit of accounts for Ramsbury & Axford Parish Council for the year ended 31 March 2021 has been completed and the accounts have

been published.

The Annual Governance & Accountability Return is available for inspection by any local government elector of the area of Ramsbury &

Axford Parish Council on application to:

Carol Standage RFO/CLERK Parish Council Office Memorial Hall High Street Ramsbury SN8 2QF 01672 520045 10-12.30 Mondays or by appointment

 Copies will be provided to any person on payment of £1.00 for each copy of the Annual Governance & Accountability Return.

The Annual Governance Statement, Annual accounting Statement and Auditor’s report can be found on the Parish Council Accounts page

The Bell contact 01672 520230 for details

Crown and Anchor lunch and dinner contact 01672 520335 for details

Phoenix wood fired pizza every Thursday in the Memorial Hall car park 16.45-20.30 contact 07990 872585 07941 803194 for details

Farr’s fish and chips Memorial Hall car park Wednesdays 16.30-20.30 07394 523623 for details

The Library is now open Monday 2-4 Wed 10-12 and Sat 10-12. The library needs volunteers in order to stay open. If you think you could help contact Jane Hunt, Volunteer Coordinator for Wiltshire Libraries on 01225 713792 jane.hunt@wiltshire.gov.uk

Hills Stores Charity Shop now open as usual 10-12.30 Tues Wed Thurs Sat morning 2-4.30 Tues Thurs afternoons

LINK can organise lifts for medical appointments, shopping, collect prescriptions etc. Ring 520111 for details

No 48 bus service is operating as usual

The Post Office will deliver essentials to vulnerable and isolating residents in Ramsbury & Axford Please ring 520229 for details

The allotment site is closed to all but plot holders

Play areas are open

Ring Sheila Glass 07979327505/520409 if you need help with shopping, prescriptions etc.

The Recreation Centre is open for sensible socially distanced exercise, tennis, bowls,football,cricket etc. please contact relevant clubs for details

IT IS NOT A DOG EXERCISE AREA(EVEN IF YOU PICK UP) PLEASE ACT RESPONSIBLY THE GRASS IS A RECREATION AREA

Please take care to avoid passing infection-if you have any symptoms -fever, cough, headache loss of taste or smell, isolate yourself for 14 days. Elderly people and those with medical conditions-diabetes, COPD, asthma, heart disease, immunocompromise are more at risk from serious complications so take particular care around these groups. Wash hands regularly if you have been out or use hand sanitiser and avoid touching your face with unwashed hands.

If you have vulnerable neighbours who you think may need help and you are well you could print off a note and use to make contact without risking infection.Deliveries of shopping etc should be done with no contact. If the person/s being helped are ill defer taking payment until the quarantine period (14 days) has passed and there are no longer symptoms. Telephone contact, especially for those who live alone, can help to alleviate loneliness and help pass the time.

If you have problems with shopping or obtaining supplies ring 07979327505/520409 or 520045 parishcouncil@ramsbury.org or candsglass@btinternet.com and we may be able to help.

Volunteers from the Parish Council have planted up tubs at the village entrances.

2 December 2021   Share Tweet Forward       Please play your part to mitigate the risk of the new COVID-19 variant This week, national measures have been introduced to mitigate the risk of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron. This is a fast-moving situation and we would urge you to follow the latest measures to help keep everyone safe. The simple measures we’ve all been taking throughout this pandemic are still important: wash hands regularly wear face coverings where required taking lateral flow tests regularly getting vaccinated and the booster self-isolating and getting a PCR test when displaying any symptoms Please be assured that health teams and scientists throughout the world are working around the clock to ensure they know everything about this new variant to help keep people as safe as possible.   Booster vaccinations The NHS is working on plans to offer: a booster dose to everyone aged 18 years old and over a booster dose to people aged 16 years old and over with a severely weakened immune system booster doses from 3 months after the previous dose – currently it’s from 6 months after the previous dose a second dose to all children aged 12 to 15 years old who are not already eligible. This is not yet available, please wait to be contacted by the NHS.   More information, including those that are currently eligible to book a booster dose, is available at the NHS website.    Face coverings It is now a requirement to wear a face covering in shops and on public transport, as well as other locations including banks, takeaways, post offices, vets, pharmacies and premises providing personal care and beauty treatments such as hairdressers.   Schools The Department for Education (DfE) has informed schools that face coverings should be worn in communal areas in all settings by staff, visitors and pupils or students in year 7 and above, unless they are exempt. Pupils or students (in year 7 or above) should continue to wear face coverings on public and dedicated school transport, unless they are exempt.   Self-isolation for contacts of Omicron cases Close contacts of anyone who has tested positive for the Omicron variant are required to isolate for 10 days regardless of whether they have been double vaccinated. People identified as close contact of or a suspected case of Omicron, will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace.   Changes to international travel arrivals and red list countries All travellers arriving into the UK are now required to take a PCR test on or before day two, and self-isolate until they have received a negative test result. The PCR tests can be purchased from private providers – free NHS tests are not valid for this purpose.   As a result of the new variant, the government’s red travel list has been updated, that can be viewed at: www.gov.uk/guidance/red-list-of-countries-and-territories.   View the latest government guidance on COVID-19

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19 November 2021         Latest Wiltshire COVID-19 cases Wiltshire has seen 2,222 confirmed positive cases in the last seven days, a slight drop from last week. The rate of cases per 100,000 in Wiltshire has decreased from 477.9 last week to 2,222, which continues to be higher than the current case rate in England of 252.2 (gov.uk data as of 17/11/2021 at 1:10pm). The number of positive cases continue to go in the right direction but COVID-19 is still in circulation in high numbers in Wiltshire and it’s vital that we all play our part to help reduce the case numbers across the county. There are steps we can all take to protect one another and help to drive the case numbers down.  Please keep washing your hands regularly or sanitising them, and consider meeting others outside or open doors and windows when indoors with others. Also, please get your first and second dose of the vaccine when offered, continue to choose to wear face coverings when out and about and on public transport, and if you have COVID symptoms, please book a test and self-isolate immediately. #WiltshireTogether   View the latest COVID-19 data for Wiltshire on gov.uk       Ask health experts about winter and COVID-19 With winter almost upon us, it’s likely to be a challenging time for our health services. If you have any questions, queries or concerns about winter health, COVID-19 or local health services, then please let us know and we’ll put them to our Director of Public Health Kate Blackburn, and Chief Executive of Salisbury NHS Foundation Trust, Stacey Hunter. Send your questions through to communications@wiltshire.gov.uk and Kate and Stacey will answer as many as possible in a video.       COVID-19 vaccination updates   This week, the Government announced that booster vaccinations will soon be available for people aged between 40 to 49 years old, six months after they have had their second dose. All people aged 40 to 49 years old who have not previously been eligible for a booster jab will be able to book an appointment for a booster dose from next week, using the NHS National Booking Service.   Anyone aged over 50 or 16 years old and over with a health condition that puts them at higher risk of COVID-19, can book an appointment for their booster dose if it’s been 152 days (five months) since their second dose, using the NHS National Booking Service.   The Government also announced that all young people aged 16 and 17 years old who have not previously been eligible, will soon be able to book an appointment for a second vaccine dose if it’s been 12 weeks since their first dose. This is expected to be available to book using the NHS National Booking Service from next week.       New asymptomatic testing van on the road A new asymptomatic testing van will be on the roads this week, to support communities that may find it harder to access COVID-19 tests. The van will be visiting various targeted communities, to offer free lateral flow tests and ensure no-one is missing the opportunity for regular testing to help reduce the spread of COVID-19.   More information on the new COVID-19 testing van     Leisure membership deals on Black Friday Prioritise your health by taking advantage of our Black Friday leisure promotion starting this Monday (22 November). Choose from an annual membership with three extra months free, or pay nothing to join, nothing for the rest of November and nothing in December with our direct debit membership offer which allows you to access the 20 leisure centres that we manage.   The deals are available until Sunday 28 November, so don’t delay, visit one of our leisure centres now to join or go online. Use code BFNov21 to get your discounted direct debit membership.    More information on our leisure promotions       Have your say on Chippenham’s future We’re inviting you to come along and have a say on the vision for the Future Chippenham programme during a series of public pop-up events taking place across Chippenham over the next few weeks. The events will enable you to provide comments that will help shape the vision for the Future Chippenham site, to enable sustainable growth and meet the needs of the local community and economy for future generations.  The sessions will take place at: The Olympiad on Saturday 27 November 2021 from 9am Artisan Market in Chippenham High Street on Sunday 28 November 2021 Wiltshire College & University Centre, Chippenham Campus on Thursday 2 December 2021 from 8.30am Chippenham Railway Station on Friday 3 December 2021 from 7am to 9am and again from 3.30pm Borough Parade on Saturday 4 December 2021 from 8am   More information on the Future       Help us to recycle more by reducing contamination Placing the wrong items in your blue lidded recycling bin leads to contamination and means that some waste materials that could be recycled have to be disposed of in landfill. You can help us to stop this by only placing the correct materials in your blue lidded bin.   Materials that can’t be recycled in your blue lidded bin are:   Plastic carrier bags and film – Take this to your nearest supermarket recycling point.   Black plastic food trays – should be placed in your rubbish bin.   Pots, pans and baking trays, knives, tools, car parts, scrap metal and metal or plastic paint pots should all be taken to your local Household Recycling Centre   You can also help to reduce contamination by rinsing, squashing and put the lids back on plastic bottles and food cartons before placing them in your blue lidded bin.   Find out more about recycling in Wiltshire       Be prepared for flooding this winter With this winter forecast to be milder and wetter than usual, we want you to be as prepared as possible for an increased risk of flooding. We work closely with the Environment Agency, and town and parish councils to ensure communities are as resilient as possible when dealing with potential flooding, and to help them prepare effectively.   Help to Grow – new course added in February 2022! We have partnered with the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol) to deliver the government-backed Help to Grow: Management course for Wiltshire SMEs. The next Wiltshire-based programme starts on 15 February 2022.   The programme includes 50 hours of in-depth training, one-to-one business mentoring and the opportunity for you to grow your business, fast.   The 12-week programme is 90% subsidised by the government, with a cost of just £750 for your business. You can take part around your existing work commitments and access learning through a blend of online and face-to-face sessions.   Find out more about the Help to Grow course   Free weight loss and fitness programme in Salisbury! We’re working with AFC Bournemouth to offer a free 12-week weight loss and fitness programme. If you’re 18 or over and live in the Salisbury area, then get in touch! The course is held weekly on a Wednesday evening, from 12 January to 30 March. Sessions are held at Sarum Academy School in Salisbury from 6:30pm-8pm. For more details please email gee.grou@afcb.co.uk or steve.cuss@afcb.co.uk.       Keep up-to-date with improvement works Contractors working on our behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire. You can also see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing ‘Wiltshire’ into the search box.

r If you’re eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccine, book your appointment now through the National Booking Service, or by calling 119. You will be able to book your appointment six months after the date of your second vaccine. Booster doses are available from a number of locations across Wiltshire, Swindon and Bath, including the large sites at Bath Racecourse, the Steam Museum in Swindon and Salisbury City Hall, as well as at smaller venues, such as GP practices and community pharmacies.   If you’re eligible for a COVID-19 booster vaccination, book now   More information on COVID-19 booster vaccination sites near you       Please be safe this Bonfire Night     We’re ready for winter Our fleet of 24 gritters is on hand to be deployed for when the road temperatures require them, with salting taking place whenever road temperatures near freezing. We have 13,000 tonnes of salt in stock, strategically placed throughout the county in six storage sites. We also have weather stations in key areas that provide real-time information and assist in producing accurate forecasts to ensure gritters are sent out at the right time.   More information on how we’re prepared for winter       You could benefit from home energy efficiency improvements   Through Government funding, we are supporting a programme of work to help deliver free home energy efficiency improvements to eligible customers.   If your household income is under £30,000 a year and you live in a home with a low energy performance rating (EPC D, E, F or G), you may be eligible to apply for up to £10,000 of free energy improvements to your home.   These home improvements could include: Insulation Solar panels Double glazing (for single glazed homes) A new front door (to replace old wooden doors) Find out more and see if you are eligible for the scheme.   Also, find out what more you can do as an individual to help lower your carbon footprint.   Find out more more about the free home energy efficency improvements       We’ve resumed our annual canvass process   This November, canvassers will be posting a reminder notice through letterboxes to residents who have not yet responded to the canvass form sent a few weeks ago. Canvassers will not knock on doors, they will simply post the reminder card. If you receive a reminder, please follow the clear instructions to confirm your details.   More information on the annual canvass process

One dose is being offered to children aged 12 to 15 to give them the best protection against COVID-19. This includes children who turn 12 on the date of vaccination. School immunisation teams will visit your child’s school to give the vaccine. 12-15 year olds are also now eligible to be vaccinated and you can now book a vaccine for your child online.     Book your child a vaccine here     Back to School – don’t forget to take a test It’s easy for us to pass on Covid-19 or flu-like viruses without knowing This winter there are two essential vaccines you’ll need to protect yourself and your loved ones.   Find out more about vaccines     Two Wiltshire Council environmental projects will appear at the COP26 conference As delegates from around the world meet up from Sunday in Glasgow for COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, two of our projects will be exhibited at the COP26 event, showcasing some of our efforts to reducing carbon emissions in the county. The first of the two projects to feature at the conference is our Community Environmental Toolkit, produced in conjunction with Natural England, which gives local groups the tools they need to improve habitats and the natural environment in their area.   The other project to be displayed is the Salisbury River Park, a collaboration with the Environment Agency, with support from the Swindon and Wiltshire Local Enterprise Partnership (SWLEP) and Salisbury City Council. The project will create a green link through the centre of the city, bringing major environmental improvements and mitigating against flooding.    receive these emails?

Local test and trace service still in operation Our local COVID-19 contact tracing partnership is still taking place. It supports the NHS Test and Trace service and steps in should the national team be unable to reach a person in Wiltshire who has tested positive for COVID-19. If you get a phone call from 0300 456 0100, please pick up as this will be our contact tracers looking to pass on information and advice.      Vehicle used for fly-tipping being destroyed   Council destroys vehicle used for fly-tipping For the first time ever, we’ve destroyed a vehicle that had been used for fly-tipping, sending a clear message that fly-tipping will not be tolerated in Wiltshire. The tipper truck was safely stripped for reusable parts before being destroyed and sent for recycling.  The offender was fined just under £7,000, including costs at the time, and it was then that the magistrates authorised the tipper truck to be destroyed.   To report fly-tipping in Wiltshire       Get Online Week Get Online Week (18-24 October), is a week-long celebration of digital inclusion. Our libraries across Wiltshire offer free access to WiFi, computers and scanners. In 2019/20, they provided 91,772 hours of supported internet access on the public computers.   More information on the online support available in our libraries

year-olds       You report it, we sort it with MyWilts   Have you downloaded our reporting app MyWilts? If not, what are you waiting for? You can report a number of issues at your fingertips, without having to call us or visit one of our hubs. These include: Abandoned vehicles Weather emergencies Fly tipping Overflowing litter bins Graffiti and more   Download MyWilts on the App Store   Download MyWilts on Google Play   Visit MyWilts on our website       Tell us your favourite book   As part of Wiltshire Year of Reading, we are producing our very own ‘Wiltshire Top 100 Books’ to encourage adults and children to try reading different books. We’ll compile a five book list, four for different school age groups and one for grown-ups.   Put forward your suggestions now       Last chance to have your say on our Climate Strategy consultation   The consultation on our Climate Strategy and Our Natural Environment Plan, the Green-Blue Infrastructure Strategy, ends on Sunday (17 October), so please take the time to have your say before it’s too late. The Climate Strategy will shape the next five years of our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions as we aim to become carbon neutral by 2030, so it’s really important that you let us know your views. Please also tell your friends, colleagues and communities, and share our posts on social media to help spread the word.   Find out more and have your say now       Childcare during October half-term holidays We’ve worked with local childminders and activity providers to create a childcare and activity directory to help you find childcare during the October half-term school holidays.

Stop the spread this winter The flu virus kills almost 11,000 people and hospitalises tens of thousands more in England in an average year. It’s more important than ever to get your flu jab this year.    Find out if you’re eligible for a free flu vaccine now       New simplified travel system now in place   The UK’s new travel system has come into force with countries and territories categorised as either red or the rest of the world. It also means that if you’re fully vaccinated and returning from over 50 countries and territories not on the red list, you can do so without needing to complete a pre-departure test (PDT), a day 8 test or enter a 10-day self-isolation period.   Full details on the new travel system       Is your child starting school next September? The window to apply for your child to go to primary or secondary school in September 2022, is now open. The quickest and easiest way to do this is by applying online. The deadline to apply for a primary school place is 15 January 2022. The deadline to apply for a secondary school place is 31 October 2021.   More information about applying for a primary and secondary school place

vaccine and 16-17 year-olds can book online Children aged 12 to 15 can now receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Most will get their vaccination at school. Consent will always be sought from parents or carers. Also, 16 and 17-year-olds can now book their first COVID-19 vaccination appointment online.   More details on the COVID-19 vaccine available to 12-15 year-olds   16-17 year-olds can now book online       Wiltshire leisure centres back under council management   We have now brought all leisure centres previously managed by Places Leisure back under our own management. We will now operate 20 leisure centres across the county and will be providing a consistent service across Wiltshire. Approximately 420 staff and 11,000 members have been transferred to the council.   We aim to provide a consistent service throughout our leisure centres, which will help to support and improve the physical and mental health and wellbeing of our customers, as well as trying to get more of the community active.   More information on all leisure centres in Wiltshire back under our management         Stop smoking this October Stoptober is back, the major annual event to encourage smokers to quit for 28 days in October, with the aim of stopping smoking permanently. If you’re a smoker and want to quit, help is available.   More information about Stoptober and the support available       Preparation for Adult Life Guide for children and young people with special educational needs and or disabilities (SEND) We have been looking at how to improve the information provided to our young people when considering growing up, moving into adult life and making decisions for the future. If you have a family with an SEND child, please look at our Preparation for Adult Life guide which has information on the support available as your child grows up. Once you have read through the guide please let us know your thoughts by completing the survey. The feedback we have from the survey will help us to we are sharing useful information so people can move on to adult life successfully.     Goals with AFC Bournemouth Keep fit, improve your health and fitness and lose weight with our free 12-week course in Salisbury.   The sessions involve exercises suitable for all, run by AFC Bournemouth and a half-hour interactive session with a health improvement coach, covering topics on nutrition, portion sizes, eating out, behaviour change and how to maintain healthy habits for life. They course gets underway on Friday 22 October at 6:30pm-8pm and runs until Friday 21 January. However, there won’t be sessions on 24 and 31 December.   If you’re aged 35+ and want more information about the programme and to sign up please contact: Gee Grou gee.grou@afcb.co.uk 07990 336272 or  Steve Cuss steve.cuss@afcb.co.uk 07973893594     Keep up-to-date with improvement works

under our management       New dedicated out of hours line for domestic abuse We are operating a dedicated line from 5pm weekdays and all over the weekend for people who want to report concerns or seek help. The new dedicated out of hours line is 01225 775276 and will take over from the Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service, which has kindly provided additional out of hours telephone support to Wiltshire residents over recent months.   More information on the new out of hours line for domestic abuse     Respiratory illnesses in children on the rise Young children typically pick up coughs and colds during the cooler months of the year, but the NHS are seeing more children with respiratory illness now. The main signs and symptoms to look out for are: Laboured/rapid breathing Dehydration (sunken eyes, drowsy or not passed urine in 12 hours) Drowsiness (excessively sleepy)   More information on the signs and symptoms of respiratory illness       Could you change the life of a local child? We’re asking “empty nesters” and people wanting a change of direction to consider fostering to help provide homes for the numbers of children and young people coming into care. Fostering is extremely rewarding for both the foster carer and child.   Find out more about fostering       Let’s ‘Step it Up’ this Recycle Week! This Recycle Week (20-26 September), we’re urging Wiltshire communities to keep recycling as much as they can to help fight climate change. The theme for this year’s Recycle Week is ‘Step it Up’, which encourages us to make positive changes to recycle more to reduce carbon emissions. In Wiltshire, the council managed 221,254 tonnes of waste in the financial year 2020-21, of which 42%, or 93,860 tonnes, was recycled, composted or re-used; and 98% of that was managed within the UK.   More information about Recycle Week     Still time to sign up for final Climate Strategy consultation engagement event   The final online engagement event, at 7pm on Thursday 30 September, is an opportunity for you to find out more about the consultation and ask questions, ahead of taking the consultation surveys. Along with the online engagement sessions, we are also holding drop-in sessions in libraries on the following dates: 27 September, 10am to 12 noon, Chippenham Library 7 October, 10am to 12 noon, Trowbridge Library   More information on the climate strategy and sign up for engagement event       Keep up-to-date with improvement works

Autumn and Winter Plan published The Government has published its Autumn and Winter COVID-19 Response Plan and we’re asking you to continue to do what you can to protect one another and local health services at a challenging time.

Read the Autumn and Winter plan now

Free home energy efficiency improvements   If your household income is under £30,000 a year and you live in a home with a low energy performance rating (EPC D, E, F or G), you may be eligible to apply for up to £10,000 of free energy improvements to your home.   These home improvements could include:InsulationSolar panelsDouble glazing (for single glazed homes)A new front door (to replace old wooden doors)

Find out if you’re eligible

Building Bridges programme is available to support you into education or employment  The programme gives you the confidence and experience you need to be able to progress towards, achieve and sustain ongoing employment. As part of the programme, a dedicated key worker is assigned to you to develop a personalised plan to help address your barriers and support you every step of the way, at a pace you feel comfortable with.

Find out more about the Building Bridges programme

Government has published its COVID-19 Autumn and Winter Plan What are the aims of the plan? The Government has published its autumn and winter COVID-19 response plan and we are asking you to continue to do what you can to protect one another and local health services at this challenging time. Within the plan, the Government states that the country is learning to live with COVID-19, and the main line of defence is now vaccination rather than lockdown. The Government’s plan is to prepare the country for future challenges, while ensuring the NHS does not come under unsustainable pressure. It wants to achieve this by: Building defences through pharmaceutical interventions: vaccines, antivirals and disease modifying therapeutics. Identifying and isolating positive cases to limit transmission: Test, Trace and Isolate. Supporting the NHS and social care: managing pressures and recovering services. Advising people on how to protect themselves and others: clear guidance and communications. Pursuing an international approach: helping to vaccinate the world and managing risks at the border.       Booster vaccines and vaccines for 12-15 year olds Booster vaccines will be offered to those who received a vaccination in phase 1 of the programme. 12-15 year olds will be offered a first dose and the NHS will work with school immunisation teams to implement this.       Regular asymptomatic testing using lateral flow tests will continue to help find cases and break the chains of transmission. It will be particularly focused on those who are not fully vaccinated, those in education, and those in higher-risk settings such as the NHS, social care, and prisons. You can find out more about asymptomatic testing on our website.       Flu vaccination To help support health services, at an already busy time, a free flu vaccination will be available for more people than normal. It will be available to the previously eligible groups, which includes primary school children, 65 year olds and over, vulnerable groups, and pregnant women. Eligibility for a free flu vaccination this year will also be extended to include secondary school children and 50-64 year olds.       Vaccine certificates Mandatory vaccine‑only certification (or ‘COVID passports’ as they’ve been called) will not be implemented from the end of September where large crowds gather, but this does remain a contingency option.       What can you do to keep yourselves and others safe? Wear a mask in enclosed indoor spaces Wash or sanitise hands regularly Isolate and book a PCR test if you have any COVID-19 symptoms Get the vaccine when offered to you Take regular lateral flow tests to help break transmission Try to stay at home if you’re feeling unwell Let fresh air in if you meet people indoors Download the NHS COVID-19 app     Full plan We have just provided a brief summary, and we encourage you to take a look at the full plan that can be found online. Our reaction to today’s plan can be found on our website.

r   10 September 2021     Latest Wiltshire COVID-19 cases #WiltshireTogether       All care home workers to be vaccinated From 11 November 2021 the law will require all professions working or visiting care homes to be fully vaccinated. If you work in a care home or wish to visit one, you must also have received at least your first jab by 16 September 2021.   More information on all care home workers and visitors to be vaccinated     Help the NHS as it prepares for extremely busy weekend Please only visit your local hospital if absolutely necessary this weekend as all parts of the local health and care system remain under significant pressure.   A combination of staff absences and increasing numbers of coronavirus cases, coupled with a huge surge in people wanting same-day urgent and emergency care, has resulted in hospitals and the ambulance service experiencing demands for their services not normally seen outside of the middle of winter.   Calling 999 or visiting a hospital emergency department for anything less than a genuine, life-threatening emergency takes already-stretched healthcare workers away from their sickest patients, who are most in need of urgent medical assistance.

Consider your healthcare options Hospitals in the area are incredibly busy at the moment. Please try and use the right health and care service for your needs, which may be to self-care or to visit a pharmacy. The ambulance service is for people with genuine life-threatening emergencies when 999 should be called immediately. Thanks for your support.   More information on healthcare options       Climate change affects us all: Have your say on our Climate Strategy Engagement began this week on our emerging Climate Strategy, which sets out how the council – and Wiltshire as a whole – can tackle climate change over the next five years. We all need to reduce our impact on the climate by cutting carbon dioxide emissions. This means making some changes to the way we all live our lives – and that’s where our Climate Strategy comes in. The engagement runs until 23:59 on Sunday 17 October, and you can comment on the draft strategy document, and attend online and in-person engagement sessions to ask questions and find out more.   More information about the Climate Strategy, sign up for engagement events and take the survey

Thanks as always for your support.       Changes to self-isolation requirements The law on self-isolation in England has now changed. Close contacts of positive Covid-19 cases no longer need to self-isolate if you are either: Double jabbed Under 18 Instead you should take a free PCR test. Book a test here     Visit the Government website       Vaccines available for 16-17 year olds Vaccinations are now available for 16 and 17 year olds find the nearest walk-in clinic on the Grab a Jab website. Bookings are not required, just turn up and receive a 1st dose of vaccine. There are specific vaccinations clinics listed for this cohort throughout Wiltshire.   Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site       Consider your healthcare options

Thanks as always for your support.       Find a walk-in coronavirus vaccination site   If you’re aged 18 or over, you can get a vaccine from a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site without an appointment. A small number of walk-in vaccination sites are also now available for people aged 16 and 17. More sites should become available over time. View a guide and more information on COVID-19 vaccination for eligible children and young people.   Find a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination site       All care home workers to be vaccinated Anyone entering a care home for work or volunteering will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by 11 November 2021.   This will help to protect those most at risk from the virus.   Full details on the changes to regulations for care home workers     Our statement in response to the situation in Afghanistan   Cllr Richard Clewer, Leader of Wiltshire Council and Cabinet Member for Military Civilian Integration, said: “We are monitoring the difficult and distressing situation in Afghanistan and are awaiting government guidance as the situation unfolds. Here in Wiltshire we have always been ready to help those who need a safe place to stay and we will respond as necessary when guidance is published. This includes offering support to interpreters and those trying to reach a safe haven. We are already looking to provide homes for at least two families and there may be more in due course. “Wiltshire has a strong military presence and we recognise the extraordinary efforts of our service personnel who have served in Afghanistan as part of the UK efforts to bring peace to the region. We know the latest news may be difficult for our local military communities and we are here ready to support them at this time.”       Do you have a 16-year-old?  HMRC are urging parents to confirm whether their child is staying in full-time education or training beyond 16, in order to continue receiving Child Benefit payments. If your child is staying in education beyond 16, you need to update HMRC by Tuesday 31 August, or your Child Benefit will be stopped.   Update your child benefit records now       Online content created by our libraries during the pandemic reaches 200,000 views! In the first lockdown, our libraries moved many of their activities online, and this popular content on the library Facebook pages and the Wiltshire Libraries YouTube channel has now received over 200,000 views. Since libraries reopened, staff have been continuing to provide online rhyme times, story times, tea and chat sessions, book reviews, author talks and ‘how to’ guides, which can be found at: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-active-communities.   Library teams are also delivering the Summer Reading Challenge in libraries until Saturday 4 September. Children aged 4 to 11-years-old can sign up to the challenge to read six or more books during the holidays and receive rewards along the way. There is limited availability so families are urged to join up while stocks last.   More info on our online library content     The Fulltone Music Festival is coming to Devizes The Fulltone Orchestra, created and lead by Musical Director Anthony Brown, is a 65 strong orchestra of some of the top musicians in the South West. There’s lots of top live music planned on The Green in Devizes, so if live music is your thing, be sure to check out the Fulltone Music Festival taking place on 28 August and 29 August.   More information on the Fulltone Music Festival       Keep up-to-date with improvement works Contractors working on our behalf are carrying out road resurfacing and associated works in a number of towns across Wiltshire. You can also see the full list of all roadworks taking place in the county by visiting the One Network map and typing ‘Wiltshire’ into the search box.

Cabinet approves next steps for Wiltshire Local Plan The 10 step plan follows a consultation period held between 13 January – 9 March, of which we had more than 3,500 responses from residents. We are currently on step four, which involves preparing the draft version of the plan. Once this draft is considered by Cabinet, we will carry out a public consultation which will be another chance for you to have your say. The key elements of the Local Plan focuses are on proposals for the scale and distribution of housing and employment growth across Wiltshire and climate change.   More information on the Wiltshire Local Plan

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