Information for Helping in the Current Environment

Helping others

The government have said there are only five reasons why people should leave their homes:

to shop for necessities
for medical reasons i.e. to go to a hospital
to exercise once a day
to travel to work if absolutely necessary
to care for a vulnerable person

You may want to help a neighbour, a family member or a friend who is currently in isolation.

You may want to help in your local community, and if you sign up with Gloucestershire County Council’s Community Help Hub, you can tick specific things that you can assist with, such as walking someone’s dog for them, putting their bins out, picking up food or medicine for them or preparing meals for the freezer – https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/covid-19/

You can only provide support to people who are in isolation if you fulfil ALL of the conditions below:

1.   You are well and have no symptoms like a cough or high temperature and neither does anyone in your household;
2.   You are under 70;
3.   You are not pregnant;
4.   You do not have any long-term health conditions that make you vulnerable to coronavirus.

How to help safely:
1.   You should not go inside the homes of anyone you do not live with, especially vulnerable people or people who believe they may be infected and are self-isolating.
2.   If you are picking essential items up for people, such as prescriptions or groceries, try to limit the amount of time you spend outside of your home by collecting your essential items during the same trip.
3.   You should stay 2m or six feet away from anyone you do not live with at all times. Do not share car journeys with people you do not live with.
4.   If you have offered to help other people, be mindful of situations where you may feel unsafe, for instance helping late at night.

You can find a lot more information on this and other related Covid-19 issues by following the link below.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-guidance-on-social-distancing-and-for-vulnerable-people

This is the end of the message – Best Wishes and Stay Safe

Message Sent By
Simon Bailey (Police, Neighbourhood Watch Officer, Glouce)