COVID-19 Information, as I get it, for residents and businesses – reliable sources only!

Posted on: 18th March 2020

This is now primarily for residents and more specialist business advice/ info is available HERE

This post will be updated as I get more information

Email address for your questions/ advice, mainly on Council Services

Note: All libraries and the mobile library are now closed. You can still renew on-line or ring on the 24 hour telephone line 0845 6076119 but you can just wait till normal services resume as there will be no fines. Do not post books through letter boxes. Remember the Borrowbox service is still there: Borrow Box – for books and papers

Latest post on food, whether you are in need or can donate food or want to stop food going to waste: All things Food

INFO AND CONTACT POINTS

The pdf of the toolkit, it here: Covid-19 Community Toolkit 09_04_20

Update re Staff Being Furloughed (sent home as unable to work normally)

The Government have changed the criteria for paying employers 80% of salary so if you changed jobs or only started a new job in March, have a read. Furlough Scheme extended

Anyone worried, needing information can contact:

  • Cornwall Council by email corvid19@cornwall.gov.uk – There is also an Information about Coronavirus (COVID-19) page on the Cornwall Council website with useful links and general information, including access to Council tax relief. The information on this page is regularly updated with the latest national guidance.
  • AgeUK Helpline, including older people needing help to get shopping – 01872 266383 Age UK web page
  • Pengarth Day Centre (Penzance and West Cornwall older residents needing help) – closed as a Day Centre BUT offering other help/ advice – 01736 364307
  • Citizens Advice Cornwall Text ADVICE to 78866 or call 03444-111444
  • Volunteer Cornwall for those stuck at home and needing help – requestforhelp@volunteercornwall.org.uk or ring 01872 265305

Helpline for front-line volunteers and staff, affected by the virus:

  • To report a business suspected to be operating illegally, the Council now has a new ‘Report It’ form on the Council’s  website. Alternatively, email covid19@cornwall.gov.uk.

Those wanting to help

Volunteer Cornwall is a good way for people to volunteer to help in their community. You will be checked out as suitable (good for some of the most vulnerable in our communities needing help) supported, guided and put in touch with people local to you, in need of some regular support. Informal, neighbourly and friendship support is great but, for what might be a long haul, this organisation with experience and the backing of the NHS is a great place to register. The link is to their website and if you scroll down the page, there is a form to complete. Volunteer Cornwall

VOLUNTEER DRIVERS NEEDED: A message from the Volunteer Cornwall Transport Team.

“Thank you for kindly registering to volunteer to support your community through the Covid-19 pandemic. The efforts of our volunteers providing vulnerable people with vital shopping and prescriptions have been incredible. However, once we return to normality, there is still more to be done to support the people of Cornwall.

We are currently looking for new volunteer drivers to assist their local community. Every year we help more than 50,000 people get to their hospital appointments, attend schools and colleges, visit loved ones and take part in social care schemes and we would love to have you on board.

Volunteer Cornwall drivers transport people in their own cars and are reimbursed for their mileage and expenses, helping them keep their car on the road whilst exploring our beautiful county. There’s no minimum commitment – drivers can do as much or as little as they wish, to suit their schedule. All it takes to get involved is a short video interview, some online training with our team at Volunteer Cornwall, an enhanced DBS check and a brief, driving assessment (this may take place once COViD lockdown restrictions are lifted!)

Volunteer driving is one of the most enjoyable ways to assist people in your area who need help and it’s no surprise to us that many of our drivers continue for years – even decades.

If you’d like to enquire about joining our fleet of drivers, please call us 01872 265 305 or email bookings@volunteercornwall.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you.”

RESIDENTS 

Most people will have family, friends and neighbours they know and trust to help them out if ill, self isolating or worried. For the few that do not, we need to ensure they are kept safe and are not encouraged to accept help from strangers that are not properly checked. So, if anyone has no-one to turn to and needs help, Cornwall Council wants to know who you are so they can ensure you are properly supported.

For West Cornwall, the Community Link Officer, James Hardy, has been identified as the first point of call and his contact details are: Mob: 07794 059071 Email: james.hardy@cornwall.gov.uk  or, if you feel better contacting me first – mobile 07745116049 or email sue.james@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk

If you need food delivered, this is a handy link for those in and around St Just/ Pendeen: Buy and deliver local

For those needing some-one to shop for them CO-OP are offering a Gift/Volunteer shopping Card. Call 0800 0294592 and the card will be posted to applicant in 2-3 working days.

Volunteer Cornwall is the other good route to connect those wanting to volunteer to those needing help – see above.

FOODBANK UPDATE

Our local Food Bank is in Penzance and has always served residents of the Parish of St Just that are in need. Those with no money to buy food (not those just self-isolating not finding what they want at the shops) the arrangements are: please contact a referring organisation e.g. your G.P.surgery, Citizens Advice (text Advice to 78866), your child’s school/ nursery or social worker, if you have one. They will pass on your details, along with any particular requests, to the Food Bank administrators who will contact you about a delivery. Food Bank deliveries are on Thursdays. If you struggle with getting hold of a voucher, and Thursday is approaching, contact our local organiser on 07789839770 or me on 07745116049.

I know that people want to help so we have made arrangement to make a collection point in St Just so you can donate food. This is in addition to the established collection point in Costcutter Boscaswell stores, Pendeen. You will be able to donate in the entrance of St Just Library/ Town Council on Saturdays and Mondays, between 10 and midday.

New foodbank collect bin, all cleaned and ready for action!

You can donate to CTIPA – General, sort code – 40-52-40, account 00022833 (reference food bank).

UPDATE ON HOUSEHOLD WASTE & RECYCLING CENTRES

Kerbside collections of waste, garden waste and recycling continue, so please place bags and recycling out for at the usual collection times.

Doorstep recycling continues as normal

In line with the Government’s advice, 11 out of 14 Household Waste and Recycling Centres have re-opened for those with items that cannot be disposed of another way and are hazardous to store.  Latest update and news here!

Registration of births, deaths and marriages

With immediate effect, emergency legislation to register deaths by phone is being implemented. None of Cornwall’s Register Offices will be open except for existing appointments to register a death. No more face to face death registration appointments will be made.

From now, people will be able to make a request to register a death through an on-line form on the Cornwall Council website here or by phoning 0300 1234 181 (Monday to Friday 8:30am to 6:00pm).

Cornwall Council will contact the customer only once they have received all the necessary paperwork, which may be subject to understandable delays with the medical profession.

All other Register Office services are suspended until further notice.

Officers are contacting marriage/civil partnership couples who have booked ceremonies to discuss their options, but with over 3,000 bookings there is a backlog. No new bookings for marriages or Civil Partnerships are being taken until the Council have been able to rescheduled displaced bookings. You can email on ceremonies@cornwall.gov.uk but only if urgent questions as team very busy.

Birth registrations are suspended for the time being, although our child benefit department is accepting applications prior to registration, which would not normally be allowed.

Cemeteries & Crematoria

Cornish cemeteries that do not have crematoria within them remain open to the public, though people visiting must strictly observe social distancing and other guidelines. Sadly, under national guidelines to protect everyone from coronavirus, all crematoria, and cemeteries that have crematoria within them, are closed except for funerals.

Bereavement Support During COVID

Cornwall Bereavement Network can provide support to you over the phone:

  • To access practical information immediately following bereavement contact 01872 252713, 9am-4pm, Monday to Friday.
  • For signposting to emotional support services contact 01726 829874 – lines open 10am-6pm, 7 days a week.

You can also get a range of local bereavement support online at www.cornwallbereavementnetwork.org

The latest advice from Public Health England

Public Health England continues to lead on advice for the public. If you receive any enquiries about coronavirus from people in your area, please signpost them to the NHS website. Public Health England has also published guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults.

Public Health England resources

Public Health England have compiled lots of helpful resources, including posters for your community spaces. Download them from Public Health England’s Campaign Resource Centre. You will need to set up an account to do so.
Public Health England has published guidance on social distancing for everyone in the UK and protecting older people and vulnerable adults. They have now also got Guidance for Health Professionals and other workers

If anyone is concerned about compliance with emergency control measures to do with social gatherings, please contact the police by calling 101 or email 101@dc.police.uk and 999 in an emergency.

Cornwall Link – linking people with communities

Cornwall Link connects individuals, families, carers, volunteers, and healthcare professionals with services and social activities in their area. The idea behind the platform is to reduce social isolation through these connections, encouraging people to join in community-led activities on-line.  Within Cornwall Link a support site has been developed by Age UK Cornwall and Made Open Communications that will be focused to provide a community portal and support system to connect people during the coronavirus pandemic.  It forms part of the Inclusion Matters Partnership led by Cornwall Rural Community Charity (CRCC) also including Disability Cornwall, Inclusion Cornwall and the Digital Inclusion Team at Cornwall Council.

https://cornwall-link.madeopen.co.uk/

If a person does not have access to the internet, the information from the site is also available via the Inclusion Matters Helpline on 01872 266383 during business hours.

Job Help For Those Affected By This Crisis

The Council is introducing a new service to help individuals with support and advice on employment, training and skills and where to find further help.

Residents can call the People Hub phoneline on 0333 015 0699. It will be available between 10am–5pm, Monday–Friday, with an out-of-hours messaging service outside of those times.

People Hub will be staffed by a multi-agency team to provide immediate information, advice, and guidance about:
· Employment and skills support programmes
· Temporary staffing agency workers
· Those under threat of redundancy or made redundant
· Self-employed
· Zero hours contract workers
· Being furloughed
· Retraining or developing new skills
· Sick Pay and Processes

BUSINESSES

I’ve now set up a separate page so, use this link. Help for Business, all in one place

Note: Employers are responsible for keeping employees safe. This is not a new duty but the Coronavirus means that all risk assessments should be reviewed and reasonable measures put in place to protect staff and customers, from the virus.

Those that are self-employed, might benefit from this and the business page.