| It is going to be a challenge for the city. We know that the principles of transmission of the virus are person-to-person, droplets and aerosols, for this reason you must stay home and only leave for a limited set of reasons. It is important to understand the guidelines – you can find more on the council’s website at bristol.gov.uk. We need to continue to support each other – your friends, neighbours and loved ones. The We Are Bristol phone line is available for people who need support during lockdown: 0800 694 0184 (Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 5pm), and a translation service available. You can get 24/7 immediate emotional and practical mental health support on 0800 0126549. Tonight is Bonfire Night, this year we strongly advise against having fireworks in your garden, as they can be highly dangerous and put further demands on our already stretched emergency services. If you’re planning a display in your garden with your household or support bubble, you can find details of the Firework Code to keep your loved ones safe on the RoSPA website. Please remember: Stay homeHands, face, spaceSelf-isolate if you are told to or if you have symptomsCOVID marshals in place from tomorrow to help keep Bristol safeI know this is a really difficult time for many people, and the last seven months have been tough, but we need to keep going. Right now we need every resident in Bristol to take this seriously. It’s not about the least you can do; it’s about the most you can do. This is our chance to turn this around, save lives, and come out of restrictions as soon as possible. Mayor, Marvin Rees An update on our services during lockdownPlease click the links below to see information on each service during lockdown. Alternatively you can find this information on our website. Cemetaries and crematoriaCitizen Service PointHousing for council tenantsMuseumsHarbourBirths, deaths, marriages and citizenshipSports and outdoor activitiesPlay parks and cafesPublic toiletsHWRC and waste servicesPest controlLibraries Remember from home on Remembrance SundayThis year we’re urging you to Remember from Home on Sunday, 8 November. The traditional parade will not take place and there will be no service at the Cenotaph this Sunday. The Act of Remembrance will be carried out as part of a pre-recorded service filmed at HMS Flying Fox, the Royal Naval Reserve Unit in the south of the city. You are encouraged to pay your respects at home by:Observing the national two-minute silence from your garden or directly outside your house at 11amFollowing the 11am service on the Council’s Facebook page, Twitter channel and websiteDisplaying a poppy poster in your windowPerhaps share readings or listen to music in your home or online with friends and family Financial support during lockdownDue to lockdown, the Government has extended the support available for citizens and businesses. Furlough, or the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), will now remain open until the end of March, with employees receiving 80% of their current salary for hours not worked, up to a maximum of £2,500. Mortgage payment holidays have been extended. Borrowers who have been impacted by coronavirus and have not yet had a mortgage payment holiday will be entitled to a six month holiday, and those that have already started a mortgage payment holiday will be able to top up to six months. Business grants – if you run a business that is required to close in England due to restrictions, you will be eligible for business grants. We are awaiting detailed policy guidance to inform the application process for these grants, and will have a webpage soon. The Self Employed Income Support Scheme has doubled meaning self employed individuals will receive 80% of average trading profits for November. See more on the Government website. Read more about the new financial support on the Government website. You can sign up to our business e-newsletter here or by emailing bristol.business@bristol.gov.uk. Care home visits during lockdownWe know it has been an incredibly difficult time for those who have not been able to visit loved ones in care homes. New Government guidance should allow all care home residents in England to receive visits from their family and friends in a COVID-19 Secure way during lockdown. Care home providers and families will need to find the balance between acknowledging the benefits of visiting on wellbeing and quality of life, and the risk of transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19) to staff and vulnerable residents. It may not be easy for all providers to accommodate COVID-19 Secure visits so please contact the home directly. You can read the full guidance here on the Government website. Are you a landlord looking to earn a guaranteed rent?We are keen to hear from anyone who has a property available to let now or in the coming year to help house those without homes during the pandemic and beyond. Landlords that work with the council will receive a package of support, including a rent guarantee, and will be helping to tackle the housing crisis at the same time. More than 200 tenancies have been created so far this year. However, with the impacts of COVID-19 putting more people at risk of losing their homes, the council still needs more landlords to come forward with properties to provide long-term housing for people who are experiencing homelessness. Visit our website to find out more. Do you have a COVID-19 story to tell?Over the coming weeks, health partners across Bristol and surrounding regions will be producing a series of short films in which local people tell their COVID-19 stories. The aim of the films is to encourage people to see the effects of the pandemic through others’ lived experiences. It’s hoped that this in turn will encourage people to see beyond the numbers and to practise safe behaviours to protect themselves and their loved ones. We are particularly keen to tell the stories of:A care worker who has had coronavirusStudentsSomeone who has lost someone to the virusSomeone living with long COVID-19 – ideally someone who was previously fit, active and healthy with no pre-existing conditionsA carer with 24/7 caring responsibilities for a loved-one who’s experiencing isolationPeople from BAME backgroundsIf you’d like to get involved or know someone who might, please contact Beth Wash on beth.wash@bristol.gov.uk. |