I’m writing to you with my latest update on the response to the
Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic in
Harrow. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌


[Covid Update from GT]

Dear John,

Over the past week, Harrow has seen a rise in 369 cases, bringing the
total number in Harrow to over 3400 cases.

From this morning, Lockdown 2 will be in place across England - make
sure to check the full guidance at - gov.uk/coronavirus but here are
some helpful takeaways 👇

🏃‍♂️ YOU CAN LEAVE YOUR HOUSE TO EXERCISE AND BUY
NECESSITIES 👜

🎒 SCHOOLS AND UNIS WILL REMAIN OPEN; SECONDARY SCHOOL PUPILS WILL
BE ORDERED TO WEAR MASKS IN CORRIDORS AND COMMUNAL AREAS FROM TODAY
💻 

🦺 PEOPLE WHO ARE UNABLE TO DO THEIR JOBS FROM HOME CAN RETURN TO
COVID-SECURE WORKPLACES IF NECESSARY 

🍼 THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR CHILDCARE

PARENTS CAN STILL ACCESS SOME CHILDCARE IF NEEDED WHILE THEY WORK OR
PROVIDE CARE FOR OTHERS. 

✈️ HOLIDAYS ARE BANNED AND YOU SHOULD NOT TRAVEL OUT OF YOUR AREA
 

GATHERINGS ARE BANNED UNLESS THEY FALL UNDER SPECIFIC EXEMPTIONS

🏥 “EXTREMELY CLINICALLY VULNERABLE” GROUP WHO WILL HAVE
RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE NHS ARE STRONGLY ADVISED TO STAY AT HOME AT
ALL TIMES, UNLESS THEY ARE GOING OUT FOR EXERCISE OR A DOCTOR’S
APPOINTMENT. 

🍻 PUBS AND RESTAURANTS HAVE BEEN ORDERED TO CLOSE UNDER THE NEW
RULES BUT TAKEAWAY FOOD AND DRINKS CAN BE PURCHASED FOR CONSUMPTION
ELSEWHERE. 🍔

🏊‍♀️ LEISURE FACILITIES MUST CLOSE 

FUNERALS CAN TAKE PLACE WITH UP TO 30 MOURNERS. 

RULE-BREAKERS (PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES) CAN FACE LARGE FINES 

BUSINESSES THAT CAN STAY OPEN:

🍷 Food shops, newsagents and off-licences 

💊 Pharmacies 

🧱 Hardware stores and building merchants 

⛽️ Petrol stations and garages 

🚲 Bike shops 

🚖 Taxi and vehicle hire services 

💷 Banks, building societies, credit unions, currency exchanges 

🏤 Post offices 

⛪️ Funeral directors

🧺 Laundrettes and dry cleaners 

🏥 Health services such as dentists, opticians, osteopaths and
mental health services 

🐩 Vets and pet shops 

🏬 Agriculture supplies shops

⭕️ Storage facilities 

🚘 Car parks 

🚻 Public toilets 

🌺 Garden centres 

As a community, we are immensely grateful to all of our NHS staff,
social care workers and all of our key workers. I hope readers
continue to stay safe, socially distance and regularly check in on
loved ones.  

The response to Coronavirus is being directed by Government centrally
working with Public Health England, the Government’s advice
is available here
[[link removed]]. Government
assistance specifically for businesses is available here
[[link removed]] .  

As always, if you need to get in touch about the issues covered here
– or anything else – please contact my office on 0207 219
4243 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Please bear
with us, as we have received over 5 times our usual weekly amount of
correspondence. My team and I are working hard to respond as promptly
as possible. Although we have had to cancel face to face surgery
appointments, we are now scheduling regular Zoom surgeries and phone
calls with Harrow West constituents. 

[lockdown 2]

HARROW COUNCIL

[Harrow Council]

The council has a webpage covering their own response to the
coronavirus pandemic, this is regularly being updated and is
available here.  
[[link removed]]

HOW DOES LOCKDOWN 2 AFFECT COUNCIL SERVICES?

The council will keep all its services running for vulnerable people -
this includes Adults and Children's Services.

Streets will continue to be kept clean, removal of flytips, and
regular bin and garden waste collection, and the Recycling Centre will
remain open - through booking slots.
[[link removed]]

Pinner, Stanmore and Wealdstone libraries will remain open for
click-and-collect but browsing will no longer be available.

Children's playgrounds in Harrow's award-winning parks and open spaces
will remain open but outdoor leisure facilities including tennis and
basket ball courts and green gyms will be closed.

Arts and leisure facilities will close - this includes Harrow Arts
Centre, Headstone Manor and Museum, and Harrow Leisure Centre.
Bannisters Sports Centre and Hatch End Swimming Pool remain closed.

VIEW A FULL LIST OF SERVICE UPDATES, CHANGES AND CLOSURES
[[link removed]] .
[[link removed]]

[Keep Harrow Safe]

SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Harrow Council, Harrow CCG, and Young Harrow Foundation have put
together a joint document
[[link removed]] signposting
residents to a collection of some of the most helpful and trusted
sources of information and guidance for children and young people’s
wellbeing.

For young people (high school and college age), the
document ‘looking after ourselves’ can be found here
[[link removed]] – covering
how to stay healthy, stay connected and learn new skills during this
time.

SUPPORT AND ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE FAMILY

Harrow Council have collected a range of online resources
[[link removed]]
 for all members of the family to keep entertained while libraries
are closed. You will be able to find resource to help with homework,
eBooks, newspapers and magazines and keeping yourself healthy and
motivated.

Counselling services and mental health support

·       Relate Family Mediation 
[[link removed]] - a
service fully geared up to supporting families through the crisis.
Tel: 0300 0032324 or email [email protected].

·       DAWN [[link removed]]  - provide
a counselling service to the local community of Harrow and its
neighbouring boroughs. Tel: 020 8427 6796 or
email: [email protected]

·       Need To Talk [[link removed]]  - offering
1 to 1 counselling supporting their clients or any client by telephone
or webcam. Tel: call/ text on 07427548559 or
email [email protected]

·       Ignite Trust 
[[link removed]]  - During these challenging
and uncertain times, Ignite Trust is working hard to ensure they
continue to provide support to the boroughs most vulnerable and
at-risk young people. Email [email protected].

·        [[link removed]] Every
Mind Matters [[link removed]] - Expert
advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health
and wellbeing.

CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE

The council continues to operate a hotline telephone number during
weekends in order to provide support to those in need of assistance in
Harrow - if you are in need of support due to Covid please give the
hotline a call - 0208 901 2698

CAN YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT?

[LCK]

London's Community Kitchen (based at The Bridge, next to Harrow
Leisure Centre) continue to put Harrow on the map. At the height of
the pandemic, this incredible operation served over 10,000 people
across Harrow and London and they are continuing to serve over 4,000
people per week. The Community Kitchen is working with Harrow Council
and many other community groups to coordinate a Harrow wide response
to the Coronavirus outbreak. Please consider donating or getting
involved in any way that you
can: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

If you’re ever in need of their support, the Community Kitchen want
to help - they wont ask you for any details, or anything in return,
just turn up and they will provide you with food. If you would like to
get involved with the Community Kitchen - register
here: [link removed]
[[link removed] ]  
[[link removed] ]and if you
can donate anything, they will make a little go a very long
way: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

HELP FROM ME

[GT Zoom Surgeries]

I appreciate that whilst this outbreak of Covid-19 is currently
dominating a lot of our thoughts, other concerns and problems do not
disappear. However, to help reduce the spread of infection, I am
asking members of the public who need to contact my office to do so by
phone or email rather than in person and further, I will continue to
hold surgery appointments exclusively by telephone and Zoom video
conferencing. This is a temporary measure and a sensible precaution to
protect vulnerable people.  Please be assured we continue to offer a
full service of advice and support to members of the public who need
it. 

As always, my office can be contacted
on [email protected] or by telephone on 0207 219 4243
(Monday-Friday).

STAY SAFE

Best wishes,

GARETH

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[link removed]