News

COVID-19 Information Update

Refuse Collections
There will be no changes to scheduled bin collections this week as our crews will be working on May Bank Holiday Friday. Please advise residents to leave bins or sacks out on their normal collection day. Collection days can be checked here.

Household Recycling Centres (HRCs)
Cambridgeshire County Council has shared a press release today outlining plans with their partner Amey to re-open the County’s HRCs from Monday 11 May 2020, following decision to close sites on 24 March 2020. Plans include; a limit to vehicle numbers on sites – in the same way as limits on customers entering supermarkets, no more than two adults unloading any one vehicle, no staff assistance to unload vehicles, no vans or trailers that require a permit. The guidance will be that visiting the facilities should be for essential reasons, including that the stored materials are part of a safety risk at home and it is important to stress this point so as to discourage non-essential travel. Full details are on their website.

NHS Updates
For latest updates on case numbers please check on this page.
Locally – by Upper Tier Local Authority
Peterborough – 223 confirmed cases
Cambridgeshire – 718 confirmed cases

GP Bank Holiday Opening Hours
On Friday 8 May, GP practices should be open as usual to help residents with all of their health needs. Full details to be confirmed.

Pharmacy Bank Holiday Opening Hours.
On Friday 8 May, local pharmacies should be open from 2pm to 5pm. There may be some slight local variance in these opening hours. Opening hours of local pharmacies are online HERE

Testing or Swabbing for COVID-19
Testing or swabbing is an important part of the COVID-19 plans to ensure that people can return to work as quickly as it is safe to do so and take the appropriate actions if they test.
For all of the latest information about who is eligible to access a testing, and how to book a test at one of the national testing facilities located in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough please visit https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested. There are two drive through sites within the District but please note, all tests must be booked in advance and tests at One Leisure St Neots finish at 4pm daily.

Now we’re talking – coming together in isolation
Organisations across the county have joined forces to launch a wellbeing campaign and additional mental health support for people during the coronavirus outbreak.

‘Now We’re Talking’, encourages people to get talking to combat loneliness whilst self-isolating, and to seek help if they are struggling with their mental health.

The campaign, led by the local authority, NHS and third sector also directs people to increased mental health support available including:

Lifeline Plus – a mental health and wellbeing helpline for people aged 18 and over living in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, is available Monday-Friday between 9am and 2pm via freephone 0808 808 2121. The line will support people to manage their wellbeing, provide self-help advice or signpost to other organisations for particular concerns.
7 days a week, between 2pm and 11pm the same number is Lifeline, managed by Lifecraft who provide support for those in mental health distress: 0808 808 2121.

Qwell – an online wellbeing support, including educational and self-help articles and peer-to-peer support via forums. Adults are also able to receive help from qualified counsellors via drop-in or scheduled online chat sessions. www.qwell.io
Keep Your Head – this website brings together all the mental health support available across the county – www.keep-your-head.com/now
Call 111 in a mental health crisis, if you, or someone you are worried about, is at risk of harm, the NHS First Response Services can help people of any age, at any time of day or night. Call 111 and select option 2.
Supporting People with Learning Disabilities During the COVID-19 Outbreak
People with learning disabilities face considerable health inequalities and this has the potential to be exacerbated during the COVID-19 outbreak. Here are a selection of resources that are widely available for people with learning disabilities, their families, their carers, and other supporting professionals, (click on the underlined words to follow the links):

Accessible resources are available on a wide range of issues, including:

symptoms and how to stay safe (Photosymbols)
wordless stories to help with planning, lockdown, and bereavement (Books Beyond Words)
shielding and protecting people who are extremely vulnerable (Public Health England)
why it is important to keep a safe distance from people (Public Health England)
COVID-19 hospital passports (Learning Disability England)
Resources to support families and carers:

Guides, top tips and ideas (Learning Disability Professional Senate)
Directory of support services in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
Emergency planning (Dimensions)
Comprehensive, reliable and regularly updated sources of information and resources can be found at the Learning Disabilities Health Network and Learning Disability England.

Infant feeding help and advice during COVID-19
There are lots of places for help and advice on breastfeeding during this difficult time. This is to support people who have been discharged from our maternity services.
We have a new page on our website with information about all the breastfeeding support available at the moment.
From Facebook chats, to texting for support, virtual support groups, to telephone helplines, we support to suit all needs. https://www.cambridgeshireandpeterboroughccg.nhs.uk/your-health-and-services/better-births/coronavirus-advice-and-guidance-for-pregnant-and-postnatal-women/infant-feeding-help-and-advice-during-covid-19/