Covid-19 Public Health Data and Advice

In Cherwell, there were 1,192 cases in the seven days up to 10 December, an increase from 1,144 new cases in the previous week. This is equivalent to a weekly rate of 785 per 100,000 residents.

You can view the latest figures on the county council’s COVID-19 dashboard.

The government has updated its advice about COVID-19 testing and you are encouraged to take a lateral flow test before you spend time in crowded and enclosed spaces (if you really need to), or visiting those at higher risk.

All the details on keeping safe and stopping the spreadself-isolation and symptom-free and symptomatic testing can be found on the county council’s website. You can access information on the system for international travel on gov.uk

Winter Support Grants available to help people hit financially by pandemic

Financial help is still available for people struggling to feed their families or heat their homes this winter as a result of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oxfordshire County Council, in partnership with the county’s district councils and Citizens Advice services, is offering support to vulnerable residents through a Winter Support Grant. Oxfordshire was awarded £400,000 by the government in December to fund the cost of food, electricity, heating and other essential items, and the financial help is available for households to claim by 31 March, 2021.

More information here https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/winter-grants/

The Parish Council passes on this message from Oxford’s Director of Public Health

The prevalence of COVID in Oxfordshire is higher than it has ever been. We are in a worse position than at the height of the first wave last spring, and the situation is continuing to deteriorate. In some parts of the county, such as the Hardwick and Ruscote areas of Banbury, we are seeing rates significantly higher than the Cherwell average.

We are aware that people are fed up and want an end to all of this, but this is an exceptionally serious situation – we are in the eye of the storm. The vaccine will not start to have an influence for some weeks and so the only weapon we have against this virus is to stay at home and avoid mixing with people outside of our households. We are dealing with a new variant that is extremely infectious and therefore need to be even more careful than last spring.

COVID-19 loves crowds. Only go shopping when it is essential, shop alone and shop local, keep two metres apart from others and remember that outdoor exercise is only allowed once per day. Being out and about presents a real risk, so limit the time you are out of the house and take every precaution. One in three people with COVID don’t know they have it so act like you’ve got it to reduce the spread. We need people to hear that message loud and clear.

I know this is all familiar from the first lockdown last spring, but the strict observation of the rules last March and April helped drive down cases. We need to remember that and do the same now.

We are relying on the people of Oxfordshire as individuals, families and work colleagues to regain control of this virus by doing what is needed. I would plead with every individual in the county to look deep inside themselves and honestly ask if they are abiding by the rules.

Hospitalisations and deaths from the virus are continuing to rise rapidly and we are now seeing more younger people admitted to hospital. Please do everything you can to stop the spread. The power to fight back against COVID remains in our own hands.

The interactive map for latest statistics is found at: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

Local COVID-19 alert levels

Local COVID alert levels set out information for local authorities, residents and workers about what to do and how to manage the outbreak in their area. Local COVID alert levels are sometimes called ‘tiers’ or known as a ‘local lockdown’.

Local COVID-19 alert levels

A message from Action Fraud

Criminals are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to try and get their hands on your money and personal information. To date, Action Fraud has received reports from 2,378 victims of Coronavirus-related scams, with the total losses reaching over £7 million.

How you can protect yourself from Coronavirus-related scams:

There are some simple steps you can take that will protect you from the most common Coronavirus-related scams. Here’s what you need to do:

1 – Watch out for scam messages
Your bank, or other official organisations, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): report@phishing.gov.uk

2 – Shopping online
If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, for example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

3 – Unsolicited calls and browser pop-ups offering tech support
Never install any software, or grant remote access to your computer, as a result of a cold call. Remember, legitimate organisations would never contact you out of the blue to ask for financial details such as your PIN or full banking password.

NHS Test and Trace scams

The NHS Test and Trace service plays an important role in the fight against coronavirus and it’s vital the public have confidence and trust in the service. However, we understand the concerns people have about the opportunity for criminals to commit scams.

What you need to know:

Contact tracers will only call you from the number 0300 013 5000. Anyone who does not wish to talk over the phone can request the NHS Test and Trace service to send an email or text instead, inviting them to log into the web-based service.

All text or emails sent by NHS Test and Trace will ask people to sign into the contact tracing website and will provide you with a unique reference number. We would advise people to type the web address https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk directly into their browser, followed by the unique reference number given to you, rather than clicking on any link provided in the message.

The NHS Test and Trace service will never:

  • ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
  • ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
  • ask for any details about your bank account
  • ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
  • ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone 
  • ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
  • ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. 

Play area COVID-19 update

Following the announcement by the Prime Minister and Government on Sunday 10th May the tennis court and playing field are now open, however please note that social distancing restrictions do still apply .

ALL ACTIVITIES IN THE PLAY AREA ARE ENTIRELY AT YOUR OWN RISK.

Please maintain social distancing at all times and remember to wash your hands when you get back home.

  • Ball Games may be played with members of the same household.
  • Tennis Singles by 2 members of the same household or with a member of another household while maintaining social distancing.
  • Tennis Doubles – all players must be from the SAME household
  • The Play Area, Equipment and Shelter must NOT to be used as the surfaces are considered to carry too high a risk of contamination with Covid-19.

Please leave the gate open as it is metal and its surface carries a high risk of contamination.

Thank you for helping to keep our community safe.

Duns Tew Parish Council.

Cancer consultations available via telephone and video

Doctors in Oxfordshire are urging people to get medical advice if they are worried about symptoms of cancer.

A recent national survey suggests getting coronavirus or giving it to their family were among the top reasons that people would not come forward when they have cancer symptoms, along with fears that they could be a burden to the health service.

But NHS staff have worked hard to make sure people can get cancer checks and treatment safely, so there is no need to delay.

Dr Kiren Collison, GP and Clinical Chair of Oxfordshire CCG, said: “We strongly encourage anyone with concerns or worries about their health to contact their GP for advice. If you are worried about any new symptoms, then please get in touch with your surgery. 

“We will be able to reassure you or if necessary get you to see a specialist quickly and safely. It is important to remember that the sooner cancer symptoms are picked up and treated, the better.” 

Initial telephone consultations or via video mean people do not necessarily need to go to GP surgeries for check-ups, and if they do need to be seen in person then there will be measures in place to keep patients safe. Waiting to get help could have serious consequences for patients and put a greater burden on the NHS in the future.

Dr Shelley Hayles, GP and Planned Care and Cancer Clinical Lead at OCCG, said: “NHS staff here in Oxfordshire have made huge efforts to deal with coronavirus but we are also working hard to ensure patients can get essential services such as cancer checks and urgent surgery safely.

“We are doing all we can to make sure patients receive the life-saving care they need.

“The wishes of patients and their families will always come first, and we have to make sure that people feel safe coming to GP practices and hospitals, but our message is clear: people should seek help as they always would.

“We know that finding cancer early gives us the best chance to cure it, and ignoring potential problems can have serious consequences now or in the future.”

Oxfordshire’s cancer diagnostics and treatment centres are based at the Churchill Hospital, which is a regional centre of excellence, as well as other specialist services in the John Radcliffe and Horton General Hospitals.

Nick Maynard, Cancer Lead at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have been working incredibly hard at our Trust to make sure that we can still provide urgent cancer care during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Patient safety is at the heart of everything we do, and we have made every effort to make sure that cancer treatment at our Trust is supported by robust shielding and screening procedures to protect our patients against COVID-19.” 

A major public information campaign launched last week to persuade people to contact their GP or 111 if they have urgent care needs and to attend hospital if they are told they should.

Cancers are detected earlier and lives are saved if more people are referred for investigation for checks

https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/cancer-consultations-available-via-telephone-and-video/

PRACTICE NURSES – YOUR COUNTY NEEDS YOU!

Oxfordshire’s Patient Care during Coronavirus programme is asking experienced practice nurses to join the teams in our dedicated COVID-19 clinics across the county.

If you are not currently working in one of our Oxfordshire practices but are interested in helping care for patients during the pandemic, please complete this quick availability survey and we will contact you. Thank you and please share this link with your networks https://surveyhero.com/c/e7684979

Message from Oxfordshire Clinical Commissioning Group

News and Updates from Oxfordshire County Council

Stories and information regarding health and adult social care

New coronavirus clinics to help patients across Oxfordshire: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/new-coronavirus-clinics-to-help-patients-across-oxfordshire/

Praise for Oxfordshire’s inspirational care teams: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/praise-for-oxfordshires-inspirational-care-teams/

New hotline for diabetes patients during COVID-19: https://www.ouh.nhs.uk/news/article.aspx?id=1225

Health and well-being services affected during the coronavirus

There are a range of well-being and health services that are affected during this period. If you need to find out about services such as: support to quit smoking, sexual health clinics and weight management sessions, please click here.

Local information about services affected during the Coronavirus

Updates about critical frontline services such as fire and rescue, waste collections, highways and children’s social care: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-information-from-the-government/

For information and updates about other services, please go to: https://news.oxfordshire.gov.uk/?h=1&all=1