Covid-19: Gloucestershire County Council says there is support for everyone
Leader Cllr Mark Hawthorne says they're also investing in the county's economic recovery
Gloucestershire County Council says there's support for everyone as the county begins to endure another national lockdown.
In an interview with us this week, Councillor Mark Hawthorne, leader of the County Council discussed the help available to families and businesses, how they're investing in the economic recovery and the support they're offering to schools.
You can read his comments below.
Everyone needs to be well prepped for when we come out of lockdown
As businesses are forced to close their doors and locals are placed back onto furlough - or in some cases made redundant - work is being done to provide immediate financial support as well as lay the foundations for recovery.
"We are working with our district colleagues to support businesses through the business support grants made available through the Chancellor and I think they're doing a brilliant job at getting that money out the door as quickly as possible.
"We're also support a number of industries across the county. We've put money into supporting Visit Gloucestershire.
"We all know hospitality has been hit really hard and we want to make sure that not only are they able to continue what they do, which I know isn't a lot at the moment, but they're well prepped for when the come out of this next lockdown.
"We're also putting a lot of money into support a new skills hub because we know they'll be a lot of people out there who will potentially need to look for new jobs and look at re-training opportunities so we want to put that support in there as well.
"We also appreciate that a lot of families are really struggling but there are loads of support schemes out there to help them.
"There's our welfare support scheme which we've extended. We've got our Covid-19 Emergency Fund which is available as well. So please get in touch to find out what support you can get."
It's a "massive team effort" to ensure kids don't miss out on education
Unlike the November lockdown, schools across the county have been forced to close their doors, only allowing vulnerable children and those of key workers on site.
"For some schools, taking in vulnerable kids and those of key workers still means 40-50% of their children are still going into school and on top of that they're trying to deliver remote learning - so this is a massive team effort."
Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, Gloucestershire County Council have handed out around 1,500 laptops to children who don't have access to one - and more are on the way.
"There's about another 1,000 laptops coming in too which will be handed out in the coming days and weeks on top of the 4G routers which are really important to those who don;t have access to broadband connectivity."
What's classed as a key worker has changed since the beginning of the pandemic, with more jobs being classified as 'critical work'.
"There are more people in our community who are doing a key job and we're making sure they're supported through the key worker programme.
"It's all about pulling together. And I think we all have one goal in mind which is that we want to make sure children don't lose out and that there's a continuation of education to support these kid's futures."
A plan is in place for Gloucesterhire's economic recovery
Gloucestershire, along with the rest of the country, has suffered a tyranny of lockdowns and tier restrictions which has no doubt had a huge impact on the local economy.
Here in our county the recovery plan will focus on investing in jobs and growth to rebuild the economy.
"We will need to make sure we're support some of our key industries like tourism which has been hit badly during the multiple lockdown over the last 12 months."
But extra cash is need to support the recovery which will come in the form of an increase to Council Tax by 5%.
"At the end of the day, we need to make sure that we're delivering money into vital frontline services such as Adult Social Care, which all your listeners will know has had to deal with an enormous amount of pressure in dealing with some of the most vulnerable in our community.
"But for all those families who are struggling, there is always help and support available, like through the council tax relief scheme so it's always worth checking whether you entitled to any support.
There is light at the end of the tunnel
As the two coroanvirus vaccines are rolled out across Gloucestershire, all hopes of eradicating the virus from our lives seems to be pinned on them.
So far over 25,000 people in the county have received it - with the Government promising millions more to get the life saving jab over the next few weeks.
But until then, we're being warned to not become complacent.
"There is a fantastic team working under a huge amount of pressure to deal with the impact of Covid-19.
"The real hope is those vaccines. I hear everyday about the work being done to deliver them over the next coming months - that's the opportunity we need to hold onto.
"But until then we need to continue to follow the guidance. Hands, face space. We need to make sure the vaccine has its time to work. Let's get this over the line."
What is the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine?
The Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was approved for use in the UK on 2 December 2020. Britain was the first country in the world to approve the jab, which offers up to 95% protection against Covid-19. Pfizer is an American pharmaceutical firm while BioNTech is a German biotechnology company. The vaccine is very delicate and has to be stored at -70 degrees, limiting the number of sites that can administer the jab.
What is the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine?
A vaccine developed by Oxford University and pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca became the second vaccine approved for UK use on 30 December 2020. This vaccine was considered "the way out" of the pandemic in the UK, thanks to the fact it is easier to store than the Pfizer jab, making it well equipped for mass roll out. GPs and vaccination centres across the country began administering the jab in early January 2021. Under 30's in the U.K. were given the option to choose a different vaccine to this due to small risks of very rare blood clots. Instead, under-30s would typically choose the Pfizer jab or later, the moderna jab.
What is the Moderna vaccine?
The third vaccine approved for UK use on 8 January 2021 was developed by American firm Moderna. 24-year-old Elle Taylor from Wales became the first person in the UK to receive the Moderna jab in April. The Moderna vaccine is similar to the Pfizer jab in how it works but is even easier to roll out as it can be stored at -20 degrees rather than -70.
What is the Johnson & Johnson vaccine
The fourth vaccine to be be approved in the UK was Johnson & Johnson's vaccine, released under the name Janssen. Notably, It is also the first single shot vaccine in use during this vaccine rollout.
Who was the first person to receive the Pfizer vaccine?
90-year-old Margaret Keenan became the first patient in the world to be vaccinated against Covid-19 outside a clinical trial. She received her jab on 8 December 2020 at Coventry's University Hospital. Mrs Keenan, who lives in Coventry, became somewhat of a fashion influencer after the charity t-shirt she wore to her vaccination appointment sold out. Profits went towards buying Christmas presents for hospital patients. The grandmother advised everyone who was offered the vaccine to take it, saying "If I can have it at 90, then you can have it too."
Who was the first person to receive the Oxford vaccine?
Meanwhile, Brian Pinker from Oxford was first to receive the AstraZeneca jab outside of a clinical trial at the age of 82. Mr Pinker, who was vaccinated on 4 January 2021, praised the medical teams administering the vaccine, saying it would allow him to "really look forward" to celebrating his 48th wedding anniversary with wife Shirley later on in the year.
When will I receive the vaccine?
Vaccines were offered according to vulnerability levels. First to be offered the jab were people in care homes and their carers, followed by those over 80 and health and social care workers. People aged 65 and above were next on the priority list and then high-risk adults under the age of 65 followed by moderate risk adults under 65. The vaccine was then rolled out by age group.
How will I know when it's my turn to get vaccinated?
When it is your turn to receive the vaccination, you will be informed by the NHS. You should only attend vaccination sites if you have been told to do so. Vaccines are provided for free by the NHS and they will never ask for bank details. Find out more about vaccine scams here.
What is a vaccine passport?
The Government debate the idea of a vaccine passport as proof of full vaccination required to enter venues like nightclubs. Health Secretary Sajid Javid later "ditched" the idea and ensured clubbers that they no longer need to be double jabbed by the end of September 2021 to get into Nightclubs or big events.
Do I need a booster jab?
Pfizer/BioNTech booster jabs are rolled out as part of the Government's winter covid plan. Shots can be given to people aged 50 and over, those in care homes and frontline health and social care workers. All those who are clinically extremely vulnerable and anyone aged 16 to 65 in an at-risk group for Covid will also be eligible for a jab. There must be at least 6 months between a 2nd vaccine dose and a booster jab.
Oxford jab scientist Sarah Gilbert says booster jabs are "not needed for all" and that they should instead go to countries with low vaccination rates.
Will children be vaccinated?
The government have also made vaccines available to children aged between 12-15 as part of the country's winter Covid plan.
What about five to 11-year-olds getting vaccinated?
All 5 to 11-year-olds in England can now receive a coronavirus jab, following advice from the JCVI and the same decision being made in Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland is also expanding their vaccination programme to include the 5-11 age range. It means almost six million children in the UK will be offered the Covid-19 vaccination.