Thursday 25 June 2020
Due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19), we will now be providing regular email updates for residents to let you know about the latest information we have and any changes to local services that may be affected.
If you do not wish to receive these updates please click on “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the page.
You can check the latest information on our website at any time by going to https://www.rotherham.gov.uk/coronavirus
Social distancing – what can I do now and from 4th July?
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement about easing restrictions in England, the Government has published official guidance on social distancing until 4th July alongside guidance that takes affect from 4th July.
These cover a range of issues, such as meeting family and friends, returning to school, going to work, visiting shops, venues and public places and what the advice is for clinically vulnerable (shielding) people.
The recommended ‘social distance’ will remain two metres, as it is now.
However, where it is not possible to stay two metres apart, guidance will allow people to keep a social distance of ‘one metre plus’ – this means staying one metre apart is ok, if measures are in place to reduce the risk of transmission. These measures will form part of the Government guidance for different scenarios, indoor venues, outdoor venues, workplaces, shops, etc.
Specific guidance for people who are shielding is available here.
What you can do now (unless you are shielding):
- Spend time outdoors, including private gardens and other outdoor spaces, in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines
- If you are the only adult in your household, you can form a ‘support bubble’ with one other household, This can be inside each other’s homes, including overnight, without needing to stay 2 metres apart.
- Go to work if you cannot work from home and your workplace has not been required to close by law
- Children in early years (age 0-5), reception, year 1 and year 6 can return to childcare or school, depending on arrangements at their school
- Visit a place of worship for individual prayer, some shops and outdoor attractions
- Year 10 and 12 pupils can receive some face to face support in school.
- Use public transport if absolutely necessary. although you must wear a face covering
What you can do from 4th July (unless you are shielding):
- Meet in groups of up to two households (your support bubble counts as one household) in any location – public or private, indoors or outdoors. This can be different households at different times. However, you should continue to socially distance from anyone not in your household or bubble. This does not affect the support you may receive from carers
- Continue to meet in groups of up to six people from different households when outdoors, following social distancing guidelines
- Single adult households who have been able to form a support bubble can continue to have close contact as if they live with the other people in the bubble, but should not change who you have formed a support bubble with
- More businesses and venues, including restaurants, pubs, cinemas, visitor attractions, hotels, and campsites will be able to open, if they can operate within social distancing guidelines
- Public places, such as libraries, community centres, places of worship, outdoor playgrounds and outdoor gyms will be able to open
- You can stay overnight away from your home with your own household or support bubble, or with members of one other household (where you need to keep social distancing)
- It will be against the law to gather in groups larger than 30 people, except for a limited set of circumstances to be set out in law. Police will have the power to break up groups larger than 30
The deadline for applications is midnight on 5th July
Deadline approaching for business grant scheme
Small businesses and charities hit financially by coronavirus now have just 10 days left to apply for the Council’s Discretionary Grant funding.
This £2.4m fund for local small businesses is backed by government funding and is aimed at small businesses who were not eligible for previous support from the Small Business Grant Fund or the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Fund.
Applications must be made by midnight on 5th July.
We anticipate applications from small businesses in shared office or flexible workspace, businesses with relatively high, on-going fixed property related costs, local charities, bed and breakfasts, private childcare nurseries and market traders with lease agreements.
If you know a business or charity from your are that may be eligible, please share the link to further information via the button below:
Financial support for small businesses and charities
Businesses get sector-specific advice on re-opening
The Government has started to publish specific advice for different types of businesses, venues and self-employed people, setting out the requirements they will need to meet to restart or re-open safely on 4th July.
The advice is basedon five key steps to working safely:
- Carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment
- Develop cleaning, hygiene and handwashing procedures
- Help people to work from home
- Maintain 2 metre social distancing where possible
- Where people cannot be 2 metres apart, manage transmission risk
It is essential that all businesses, self-employed people and other work or public places meet these requirements before re-opening. View the guidance for each sector by clicking the link below.
Working safely during coronavirus
The Mayor’s message for Armed Forces Day 2020
Join the Mayor is saying thank you to our Armed Forces
It’s Armed Forces Week 2020 and this Saturday, 27th June is Armed Forces Day.
Due to the covid-19 pandemic, the Council and it’s partners can’t mark the occasion in the way we would have liked this year.
However Rotherham Mayor Cllr Jenny Andrews has recorded a special message to express how highly the people of Rotherham value the contribution of our Armed Forces Community.
Watch the message on YouTube here.
The Mayor is encouraging people to share their own messages on social media and let our serving personnel, cadets, reservists and veterans know they are in our thoughts.
More information about the support for Armed Forces community in Rotherham is available from the Council’s website:
Support for Rotherham’s Armed Forces community
Children invited to take up Summer Reading Challenge
Children from across the borough are beign invited to take part in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.
The annual event will be a little different this year as its delivered online, so children will be able to get involved with all of the activities and to post reviews of what they have been reading.
The theme this year is ‘Silly Squad’, which aims to encourage children to read whatever makes them happy, get silly and have fun!
Rotherham Libraries will also be supporting this year’s challenge by putting on events online throughout the summer, starting this month with library staff talking about their favourite children’s books.
Throughout the summer there will be regular posts on the Rotherham Libraries Facebook page on Friday afternoons, including staff recommendations of what to read and craft activities including how to make ‘Silly Slime’ and ‘Sock Puppets’ as well as the special ‘Crazy Catapult Caper’.
There are many exciting ebooks available via the Rotherham Libraries website, and anyone who doesn’t have access to a computer at home can get in touch with the library team so that they can arrange for them to collect books and printed activity sheets.
Last year over 1,600 children signed up, with more than 1,000 of them successfully completing the challenge of reading six books in the six week summer holiday.
To take part children need to do is sign up by clicking the button below. Keep an eye on the Rotherham Libraries Facebook page for more information or call 01709 823606 – leave a message and a member of the team will get back to you.
Sign up for the Summer Reading Challenge
Getting in touch…
During this challenging time please, where possible and appropriate, use our online services rather than calling via telephone. We’re receiving a high level of calls daily and want to ensure we’re able to answer urgent calls regarding vulnerable residents and our front line services.
