COVID-19: Update

I said in my previous blog piece (March 16^th) that as circumstances change the Government would evolve their measures.

Last night the Prime Minister gave the first daily update on COVID-19 and has asked people to begin the process known as social distancing. I have included a link to this update below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/pm-statement-on-coronavirus-16-march-2020

I would also reiterate that it is important to keep up to date with the latest advice from Public Health England which can be found below.

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

This page covers important information including:

• Guidance when self-isolating
• Up to date NHS information about COVID-19
• Travel advice
• Guidance for health professionals and other organisations
• Information for schools and businesses
• Number of COVID-19 cases in the UK

As of today (March 17^th): it is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact with others and to stop all unnecessary travel. This advice is particularly important for people over 70, for pregnancy women and for those with some health conditions.

The Prime Minister also outlined that: “we need to ask you to ensure that if you or anyone in your household has one of those two symptoms, then you should stay at home for fourteen days.

That means that if possible, you should not go out even to buy food or essentials, other than for exercise, and in that case at a safe distance from others. If necessary, you should ask for help from others for your daily necessities. And if that is not possible, then you should do what you can to limit your social contact when you leave the house to get supplies”.

This means that the Government will no longer be supporting mass gatherings with emergency workers as it normally would.

Further action the Government is taking is to call on leading UK manufacturing businesses to step up production of vital medical equipment, ensuring our NHS has it what needs to provide care to patients.

I am also getting in touch with local north Norwich businesses to see what they can do to help locally.

I will continue to keep my website and social media updated with each major announcement. I want to ensure that constituents have the most reliable up to date information as the situation progresses.

The next few months will look very different.  It will be a huge national effort.  But we can do this, and it’s right to do it.