  Latest Wiltshire COVID-19 cases The number of cases in Wiltshire continues to be below the national average and has fallen this week. The rate of cases per 100,000 has decreased from 19.2 to 13.6.Thank you for continuing to play your part to help keep casenumbers low.  Stay safe and keep following the rules until restrictions change on 17 May Following the Prime Minister’s confirmation of the move to Step 3 of the Government’s roadmap from 17 May, and the reopening of more businesses, we are asking everyone to keep following the current rules until they change. Currently you can only socialise indoors with people you live with or who are in your support bubble. It is also possible to meet outside in groups of up to six people or two households. Please continue to work from home if you can and minimise travel. However, the Government has confirmed that from Monday 17 May, restrictions will be further eased. This means that some limits on seeing friends and family will be lifted, so that indoors the rule of 6 or two households will now be permitted. Restrictions on meeting outdoors will also be lifted, although gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal.Full details on what you can and cannot do on Monday 17 May  Mobile vaccination bus A vaccination bus is currently touring areas in Wiltshire where uptake of the coronavirus vaccine has been low and where it is known there are high levels of vaccine hesitancy. The vaccination bus is there to provide the coronavirus vaccine to people who are eligible for a vaccine, but who are unable to travel to a vaccination centre or who have been hesitant to a previous offer of vaccination and would like to chat to a medical professional first. A full list of eligible groups can be found on the NHS website. The mobile vaccination clinic is not intended for people who are able to travel, or who have not yet been invited for a vaccination. If you are eligible, but are unsure about whether to have the vaccine, healthcare professionals will be stationed at the bus to discuss any of your concerns. We will not be publishing details of when and where the vaccination bus will be located online. Details on the whereabouts of the bus will be advertised to specific communities through ongoing outreach work happening with community leaders, faith groups and public health workers.  Face coverings no longer required in schools and colleges from Monday 17 May Pupils will no longer be required to wear face coverings in schools and colleges from 17 May.The latest data shows infection rates continuing to decrease, deaths and hospitalisations at their lowest level since July, and the vaccine rollout continuing at pace.In line with this data, pupils will no longer be required to wear face coverings in the classroom or communal areas in schools and colleges. This will improve interaction between teachers and students, ensuring the clearest possible communication to support learning.Transmission of the virus in schools continues to decrease in line with wider community transmission, with the latest statistics showing a significant drop in the number of teachers and staff testing positive.More information on face coverings no longer being required in schools from 17 May  Time to renew your garden waste collections Households that pay to receive garden waste collections will soon receive an email or letter inviting them to renew their subscription by 30 June 2021. Current garden waste subscriptions expire on 30 June 2021 and if you’re an existing customer, you now need to renew your garden waste subscription if you wish to continue to receive the service. The cost of having garden waste collected will remain the same at £50 per bin for the year. New customers can sign up at any time to receive garden waste collections, either online or by calling 0300 456 0103. You don’t need to contact us if you do not wish to renew.Renew your garden waste collection now  Mental Health Awareness Week This week is Mental Health Awareness Week hosted by the Mental Health Foundation and the theme for this year is nature. There’s a lot of good research to support the role nature can play in protecting and supporting our mental health. Locally we have a dedicated team of Health Improvement Coaches that can help you every step of the way to improve and maintain your mental wellbeing and help you find services and activities to help. They can be contacted at Health improvement coaches – Wiltshire Council Physical activity has also been shown to have a positive impact on mental health and our leisure services have three schemes for people to try:Get Wiltshire Walking – free, weekly, led walks in 38 areas Beginners Running Courses and school gate runs for those that want to get in to runningActive Health – physical activity opportunities for those referred by a medical professional  Foster Care Fortnight It’s Foster Care Fortnight this week and next (10 May – 23 May) and this year we’re asking residents to consider fostering older children aged 11 – 18 years to help meet a need. The latest campaign is part of a wider three-year drive, which started in 2020, to recruit 100 foster carers in Wiltshire. Foster carers and children in care will share their thoughts on social media throughout the fortnight, providing an insight into how fostering teenagers helps the young person but also how it is rewarding for the carer. If you’re interested in finding out more about fostering, we’re hosting an online information session on Tuesday 25 May on our Fostering Facebook page.More information on Foster Care Fortnight  |
Calstone past, present and future.