COVID-19 Information

COVID-19 is a new illness that can affect your lungs and airways. It's caused by a virus called coronavirus.

See the Government's coronavirus homepage for the most up to date advice.

Do not leave home if you or someone you live with has either:

a high temperature
a new, continuous cough

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection. That is why the government is now (23 March 2020) introducing three new measures.

Requiring people to stay at home, except for very limited purposes
Closing non-essential shops and community spaces
Stopping all gatherings of more than two people in public

Every citizen must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, will be given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.

These measures are effective immediately. The Government will look again at these measures in three weeks, and relax them if the evidence shows this is possible.

See the full guidance on staying at home and away from others published by the Government on 23rd March 2020.

Guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection

The main messages are:

if you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started. See ending isolation section for more information
if you live with others and you are the first in the household to have symptoms of coronavirus, then you must stay at home for 7 days, but all other household members who remain well must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill
for anyone else in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14-day isolation period. See ending isolation section for more information
it is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
if you can, move any vulnerable individuals (such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions) out of your home, to stay with friends or family for the duration of the home isolation period
if you cannot move vulnerable people out of your home, stay away from them as much as possible

if you have coronavirus symptoms:

do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital
you do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home
testing for coronavirus is not needed if you’re staying at home
plan ahead and ask others for help to ensure that you can successfully stay at home and consider what can be done for vulnerable people in the household
ask your employer, friends and family to help you to get the things you need to stay at home
wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds, each time using soap and water, or use hand sanitiser
if you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home, or your condition gets worse, or your symptoms do not get better after 7 days, then use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service. If you do not have internet access, call NHS 111. For a medical emergency dial 999

See the full guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection, updated on 24th March 2020.

The Governmnet are advising those who are at increased risk of severe illness from coronavirus (COVID-19) to be particularly stringent in following social distancing measures.
This group includes those who are:

aged 70 or older (regardless of medical conditions)
under 70 with an underlying health condition listed below (ie anyone instructed to get a flu jab as an adult each year on medical grounds):
chronic (long-term) respiratory diseases, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), emphysema or bronchitis
chronic heart disease, such as heart failure
chronic kidney disease
chronic liver disease, such as hepatitis
chronic neurological conditions, such as Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis (MS), a learning disability or cerebral palsy
diabetes
problems with your spleen – for example, sickle cell disease or if you have had your spleen removed
a weakened immune system as the result of conditions such as HIV and AIDS, or medicines such as steroid tablets or chemotherapy
being seriously overweight (a body mass index (BMI) of 40 or above)
those who are pregnant

Note: there are some clinical conditions which put people at even higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. If you are in this category, next week the NHS in England will directly contact you with advice about the more stringent measures you should take in order to keep yourself and others safe. For now, you should rigorously follow the social distancing advice in full, outlined below.

People falling into this group are those who may be at particular risk due to complex health problems such as:

people who have received an organ transplant and remain on ongoing immunosuppression medication
people with cancer who are undergoing active chemotherapy or radiotherapy
people with cancers of the blood or bone marrow such as leukaemia who are at any stage of treatment
people with severe chest conditions such as cystic fibrosis or severe asthma (requiring hospital admissions or courses of steroid tablets)
people with severe diseases of body systems, such as severe kidney disease (dialysis)

What is social distancing?
Social distancing measures are steps you can take to reduce social interaction between people. This will help reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19).

They are to:

Avoid contact with someone who is displaying symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19). These symptoms include high temperature and/or new and continuous cough
Avoid non-essential use of public transport when possible
Work from home, where possible. Your employer should support you to do this. Please refer to employer guidance for more information
Avoid large and small gatherings in public spaces, noting that pubs, restaurants, leisure centres and similar venues are currently shut as infections spread easily in closed spaces where people gather together.
Avoid gatherings with friends and family. Keep in touch using remote technology such as phone, internet, and social media
Use telephone or online services to contact your GP or other essential services

Everyone should be trying to follow these measures as much as is practicable.

We strongly advise you to follow the above measures as much as you can and to significantly limit your face-to-face interaction with friends and family if possible, particularly if you:

are over 70
have an underlying health condition
are pregnant

This advice is likely to be in place for some weeks.

Handwashing and respiratory hygiene
There are general principles you can follow to help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses, including:

washing your hands more often - with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use a hand sanitiser when you get home or into work, when you blow your nose, sneeze or cough, eat or handle food
avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands
avoid close contact with people who have symptoms
cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in a bin and wash your hands
clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces in the home

See the full guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable.

Where to get help
You do not need to contact NHS 111 to tell them you’re staying at home. They won't be testing people who are self-isolating with mild symptoms.

Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service if:

you feel you cannot cope with your symptoms at home
your condition gets worse
your symptoms do not get better after seven days

Only call 111 if you cannot get help online.

Handwashing advice

Please follow Public Health England advice to:

wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds
always wash your hands when you get home or into work
use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards
try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell

A video showing the correct way to wash your hands can be found here.

Central Bedfordshire Information Source

Up to date public information can be found on the Central Bedfordshire Council website by clicking here.

Press Release from the Town Council

Following advice from the government and NHS the Council will be taking the following precautions as part of the restrictions put in place by the government lock down;

We regret to advise residents that the Council offices at 10 Cambridge Road are now closed to the public. We are taking this step to lessen the risk of Covid-19 being spread to our staff and visitors. This means that you will no longer be able to collect food waste and recycling bags from us. The offices remain staffed and the council can continue to be contacted on 01767 681 491 or by emailing [email protected]
All council owned public toilets will be closed until government advice is received stating the current restrictions have been lifted.
All Town Council owned play parks will be closed until government advice is received stating the current restrictions have been lifted. Signs will be put up at all play parks advising public of the closure. We would ask that residents following government guidelines on social distancing.
The Council will be cancelling its regular Full Council and committee meetings until the current restrictions of the government lock down are removed.
The Council will be postponing its Annual Town Meeting, which was to be held on 27th April to a date to be decided at a later time.
The Council will be postponing all events which were to be held in April and May, this includes the VE Day Street Party which will now be held in August 2020 to coincide with VJ Day commemorations.
We would encourage all residents to follow government guidelines and ensure they are checking the government and NHS websites for the most recent information.

Useful Community Links:

Laburnum Lower School

Maple Tree Lower School

Robert Peel Lower School

St Swithun's Lower School

Sandy Secondary School

Central Bedfordshire Council

Bedfordshire Police

Bedfordshire Fire Service

Sandy Health Centre

Shannon Court Surgery

Sandy Dental Care