Leeds City Council Coronavirus update – Support for people and communities – April 1, 2021

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Message from Leeds City Council (from yesterday)
Dear resident,
We hope you’re safe and keeping well.
This week we have an update for you on the new restriction rules, advice for people who are shielding and information on business grants.
An update on Leeds’ infection rates
Every Leeds resident makes a difference to Covid infection rates in our city. When you continue to follow the government guidance, meet fewer people outdoors and stay local, you help to keep everyone safe.
There is a lot to look forward to, as we move ahead on the government roadmap towards fewer restrictions, but we need to be cautious and keep infection rates low.
We’re making real progress in Leeds, but our Covid rate is now 117.8 per 100,000 (up from 102.1 last week), and above the England average of 54.9. The new UK variant spreads very easily, and outbreaks are occurring in workplaces and high schools.
The recent figures show that fewer people are in hospital, and fewer outbreaks are happening in care homes, with falling infections among over-60s (31.7 per 100,000 12% lower this week).
Vaccinations are in progress, with over 349,000 people in Leeds having received the jab as of 30 March (about 48% of the population) but new infections are still happening.
As restrictions relax, it’s even more important to remember that people are still vulnerable. Please act as though you have the virus, follow the hands/face/space, test/trace/isolate rules, and keep working.
More information around vaccinations and testing can be found on the Leeds CCG website. Information to support businesses and individuals can be found on the council’s website.
Reminder of new restriction rules
This week, the government has taken a step to gradually ease lockdown restrictions. Although the “Stay At Home” rule has ended, you are still expected to minimise travel and work from home wherever possible. If you cannot work from home, minimise your number of journeys and avoid commuting during busy times.
Travelling abroad will remain prohibited unless for a small number of permitted reasons which does not include holidays.
You are now able to:
Attend outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either six people (the rule of six) or two households.
Visit outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, open-air swimming pools and attend formally organised outdoor sports. Temple Newsam and Roundhay golf courses are reopening too.
With the bank holiday weekend upon us, it’s a great time to catch up with loved ones, but please follow the guidance on staying local, only travelling when absolutely necessary and meeting outdoors only.
It is really important to consider that the UK variant of Covid passes from one person to another much more easily than other strains of the virus. Around 1 in 3 people have coronavirus without displaying the symptoms which means that if one person in a group or household has the virus, it’s much more likely they will pass it on to others.
The government has issued guidance on meeting outdoors and research suggests that the risk of infection is significantly lower in fresh air than indoors.
So as restrictions relax we must keep following the guidelines, act as if we have the virus, and remember – hands, face, space and fresh air.
For more information, visit: http://orlo.uk/Rl8Q8
Celebrating Easter safely
If you are celebrating Easter this weekend, please continue to follow the current national restrictions. If you plan to meet with friends and family outdoors, remember to follow the ‘rule of six’, to wash your hands and to remain 2 metres apart from those you don’t live with.
If you’re planning to visit one of the parks in Leeds, please remember to take your rubbish home with you and leave the area how you found it.
Wishing all that are celebrating a Happy Easter.

Lunchtime Fish and Chips to your door

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Dear all,

A fish and chip lunch has been coming directly to the door for some members. See below.  If you would like to have some brought to you then please get in touch.  Lisa – Mobile: 07436 530073 or email: lisa@caringtogether.org.uk
The next time I will be going is Friday 9th April 2021 at 12.30pm
Lunch time special of Medium Haddock, Chips, Peas or Curry is £5.05. I can only take cash.

Caring Together’s Elevenses was online and in person today!

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Dear all,

We are a year on and our Elevenses group continues to meet online once a week. And today we had four more members join us for Elevenses; in person  I took the technology and the online group to them. It was their first time on zoom and mine hosting the online, and in person (s) session together. It was a surprise for those who regularly meet. We all loved it and enjoyed getting together, safely and without breaching lock down rules! It even incorporated an IT session beforehand too. It was a bit cold but well worth it and something we are definitely doing again.

Elevenses every Thursday with Caring Together 11am to 12noon

If you wish to join us, get in touch; lisa@caringtogether.org.uk or call 07436 530073

TALKING: NATURAL ENCOUNTERS A series of talks from staff and volunteers at Leeds Art Gallery

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Listen to the series here

Enjoy a journey through Natural Encounters listening to a series of short talks from the team at Leeds Art Gallery.

The exhibition spans 400 years of nature in art, exploring the different strategies artists have used to approach, interpret or respond to nature. In Talking: Natural Encounters, staff and the gallery’s Youth Collective share their personal response and interpretation of individual artworks and invite you to do the same.

The series was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Leeds Art Gallery • Leeds Museums and Galleries • Journal

Shared Moments: ‘graveyard walk’ written by Oliver Cross

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Dear all,
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Sometimes we like to spend our officially-approved daily exercise periods wandering through the disused St George’s Fields cemetery in the grounds of Leeds University.
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There are wide paths paved with the flattened common gravestones of people who died without having the foresight to make a responsible funeral plan and as a result are entitled to only one line of plain lettering listing their name, date of death and their age they departed this life, although ‘departing this life’ contains too many letters to be within the budgets of most of the cemetery’s inhabitants.
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Many of the deceased in the common graves, if they achieved adulthood, died in what we would call early middle-age, their 40s and early-50s. The more elaborate still-standing headstones, with big lettering and unnecessary wordage, are typically of people who died in their 60s or 70s and had occupations, such as victualler or merchant, that paid better than being an ordinary worker in a country built by workers.
I expect common people visiting common gravestones would have noticed this inequality in death but I shouldn’t think it worried them. It was just how things were; there was no secret injustice to be discovered, everything was spelled out in stone, inevitable and unchangeable.
But big events do shake things up. I’m not sure that that the present pandemic is an event on the scale of the world wars or the great depression or even some past epidemics, but it will change things.
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If I were of an age which would allow me to report back to you in 15 or 20 years time, I would be interested to see how many people still work from home, how much life remains in city centres, whether it’s permitted to get mildly drunk in pubs – if there are pubs – and how many packs of dogs, bought to alleviate lockdown boredom, are now wandering the streets, possibly joined by liberated Llandudno goats and the odd stranded walrus.
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It would be interesting to see whether we still rely on home deliveries and the army of low-paid, though very skilled, people who keep us fed, watered, furnished and amused but would mostly end up piled into common graveyards if there were still such things.
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It’s possible that the that the economic consequence of the pandemic, which are as yet uncounted, might bring about a realignment that makes the rich slightly poorer and the poor slightly richer, so the figures add up more sensibly. Don’t wait up though.
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Incidentally, the St George’s Fields cemetery also contains the gravestone of the circus owner Pablo Fanque (real name William Darby) who died in 1871, aged 61, and should be remembered as a pioneering black entrepreneur but is in fact remembered for contributing a couple of lines to the to the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper album: “The Hendersons will all be there/ Late of Pablo Fanques fair, what a scene.”
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The joint gravestone also commemorates the tragic death in a circus accident of Pablo’s wife Susannah, but it still never fails to cheer me up.
picture from foursquare
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Thank you Oliver for sharing this with us, until next time….
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Shared Moments: Making the most of the beautiful weather

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We have had a glorious few days and we definitely made the most of it. We were up on Woodhouse Moor on Tuesday (minus the barbecues and alcohol), with a trip to our allotment (thanks Ben), the Woodhouse Moor bowling greens and then in Little London today. More walks/strolls to follow. Get in touch if you would like to join us next time.

Lisa Argyle Mobile: 07436 530073 or email: lisa@caringtogether.org.uk

Send in your Playhouse memories/sounds of Leeds

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Two invitations from Leeds Playhouse for you to contribute to a 50 years of the Playhouse exhibition and a sounds of Leeds project.  They both have deadlines for contributions this week:  Details from Leeds Playhouse below:

Invicta logo



			

	
	


				
					



	

		
					

		
Leeds City Council Coronavirus update


				

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A little later than we usually post but here is the latest update from Leeds City Council


COVID BANNER


Dear resident,


This week we reached one year since the first national Covid-19 lockdown. The past year has had an enormous impact on all our lives and this week we’ve taken the time to reflect and remember those we have lost.












An update on Leeds’ infection rates


The latest figures for infection rates in Leeds are currently at 102.1 per 100,000, which is a slight decrease on last week. The positivity rate remains stable at 4%.


The Leeds vaccination programme continues to go well and hospital admissions in Leeds are now reducing. However, we must all remain vigilant to maintain this positive progress. Please follow the restrictions, remember to keep distance from those you don’t live with and wear a face covering when required.












Changes to restrictions from Monday 29 March


From Monday 29 March the current restrictions will begin to gradually lift. Even though the “Stay At Home” rule will end, you are still expected to stay local and work from home wherever possible. If you cannot work from home, minimize your number of journeys and avoid commuting during busy times. Travelling abroad will remain prohibited unless for a small number of permitted reasons which does not include holiday making.


From Monday 29 March you will be able to:


    

  • Attend outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either 6 people (the Rule of 6) or 2 households
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  • Visit outdoor sports facilities such as tennis and basketball courts, and open-air swimming pools and attend formally organised outdoor sports. Temple Newsam and Roundhay golf courses will be reopening too.
    • 



As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer it may be tempting to start skipping ahead of the roadmap and adopting the new measures early. However, it’s really important that we all keep doing the right thing and wait until the dates when restrictions are eased to meet up with more than one person or another household outdoors.


For more information, visit http://orlo.uk/Rl8Q8












Guidance for those shielding


Since March last year over 70,000 people have been advised to shield at home because of the high risk posed to them should they catch Covid-19 – they are known as the clinically extremely vulnerable group. On 31 March the advice to shield will be paused, meaning people in this group will be returning to their workplaces, to shops, places of worship, and will be able to meet up with family and friends – in line with national guidelines that apply to everyone.


Although the transmission rates of Covid-19 have dropped the risk is still present, and for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable the consequences of them catching the virus remain extremely serious. Around one in five people from this group have not yet accessed the first dose of the Covid-19 vaccine, and almost all have not yet had their second dose.


We all have a responsibility to keep each other safe, especially important for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) people. Please continue following guidance on social distancing, wearing face masks, and washing hands regularly.


If you are clinically extremely vulnerable, you will recieve a letter in the next week or so to explain what these changes mean for you. Please be assured that the support we have provided locally will continue to be available. If you have already registered for priority access to supermarket delivery slots, you will continue to be able to access these until 21 June 2021.We want to help you stay safe as we continue fighting against the pandemic.


More information is available at: www.leeds.gov.uk/shielding












New contact tracing service to reduce spread of Covid-19 in Leeds


Leeds Contact Tracing Service – consisting of Leeds City Council, Better Together Leeds and the NHS – aims to stem the spread of Covid-19 across the city by working closely with contacts of those infected. The telephone-based service – led by Leeds City Council – traces contacts and offers guidance and support including help with shopping, collecting prescriptions and financial advice. Representatives from Better Together Leeds – who are experienced in community health development and have a thorough understanding of the communities they work with – will knock on doors in local neighbourhoods to follow up with residents which the contact service can’t reach.












Take part in the vaccination survey


The NHS in Leeds would like to hear from people about their experience of having the Covid-19 vaccine. Feedback will be shared with vaccination teams to inform others about what to expect when going for their vaccination and help improve the vaccination experience for everyone in Leeds. Complete the survey here.












Celebrating Pesach safely


Pesach is usually a time to meet and celebrate with friends and family.


If you are celebrating Pesach, please continue to follow the current national restrictions. If you plan to meet with friends and family outdoors, remember to wash your hands and remain 2 meters apart from those you don’t live with.




Asymptomatic testing for anyone who can’t work from home








Around 1 in 3 people who have Covid-19 have no symptoms (asymptomatic) and will spread it without realising. Alongside wider testing facilities, we have opened three sites across the city where anyone who can’t work from home can access regular testing. The aim of this testing is to find cases that may otherwise go undetected and therefore reduce the spread of the virus.


The NHS advise that you should have two tests during a week-long period, and should still be tested even if you’ve had your first vaccination dose.


There’s no requirement to book – you can just attend whichever of the three sites is most convenient for you.


The locations of these sites, along with full details of all testing facilities across Leeds, can be found on the NHS Leeds website.






















Businesses grant changes


The grant for businesses that had to close during the national lockdowns in November, December (Tier 3) and January to 15 Feb will only be paid where the application was received by 31 March 2021. For any applications received after 31 March, only the grant for the period 16 February to 31 March 2021 will be paid.


Restart Grant: businesses that were forced to close during the current national lockdown are to get help to reopen. The Restart grant will open for applications early next week.


Discretionary Grant for businesses with low or no fixed property costs RE-OPENS: Smaller businesses affected by Coronavirus restrictions who have NOT previously applied for this Discretionary Grant can apply when the grant re-opens from 30 March to 5pm on Tuesday 13 April.


Full details of all business grants will be available on our website at


https://bit.ly/LeedsGrants












 City and Local Centre Conversation


Please take ten minutes to complete our survey on how Leeds and its local centres have changed since the Covid-19 pandemic began. We want to hear about the changes you have made to how and where you work, how and where you choose to spend your money and how you travel, as well as how you see yourself working, living and travelling in Leeds in the future. You have until midnight Friday 26 March to fill in the survey at http://bit.ly/LeedsConversation

			

	
	


				
					



	

		
					

		
Monday Mind Workout: Monday 29th March 2021


				

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Dear all,




Today’s Monday Mind Workout is themed around chocolate and sweets.




Eg. I can’t believe it’s not whisky     Answer: Butterscotch




1. A US Coin


2. Vehicle + a coat


3. Evil


4. Fierce Caged Animal


5. Tramp


6. Dating Agencies


7. Subject


8.Wobbly Infants


9. Teddy Bears had one


10. Nine


11. Roman God of War


12. Sport for a Prince


13. Keep this quiet


14.Wise Guys


15. Pigs Tail maybe?




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