What the new COVID-19 rules mean for you

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Thu 2 December 2021:
Your regular update from Reading Borough Council on our response to the COVID-19 pandemic and how you can help

A message from Reading Borough Council leader Jason Brock

I had the great honour last weekend of switching on the Southcote Christmas lights, as you can see in the photo. I admit, it may be just a single tree in the Southcote Library and Community Hub, but it means a lot to me that we are able to have our community facilities open and providing services… and it’s quite right that we should bring a bit of festive cheer to them also!

But you will all be aware that our Christmas celebrations were snatched away from us at the last moment in 2020, so we need to all do our part across Reading to help ensure the same doesn’t happen again this year. Since 8 November, the weekly rate of confirmed cases in Reading per 100,000 people has risen from 275 to 541.

With concerns nationally over the new Omicron variant of COVID-19, the Government has announced changes to COVID-19 rules this week so we are better protected against it. These include:

Face coverings
From Tuesday 30 November, it became mandatory to wear face coverings in shops and on public transport (unless exempt). We are strongly encouraging you to wear a face covering in public buildings, our libraries, and if you have an appointment, for example at the Civic Offices or a community centre.

Booster vaccinations
Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in the UK, the NHS is working on plans to offer:

a booster dose to everyone aged 18 years old and over
a booster dose to people aged 16 years old and over with a severely weakened immune system
booster doses from 3 months after the previous dose - currently it's from 6 months after the previous dose
a second dose to all children aged 12 to 15 years old who are not already eligible

Please note that this is not yet available – as at today, the COVID booster vaccine is only available to those who have had a second dose of a vaccine at least six months ago and also fulfil one of the following criteria:

Are aged 40 and over
Live or work in care homes, or are a frontline health or social care worker
Are aged 16 and over with a health condition that puts them at high risk of getting seriously ill from COVID
Are aged 16 and over who are a main carer for someone at high risk from COVID-19, or who live with someone who is more likely to get infections

Women who are pregnant and in one of the eligible groups can also get a booster dose.

Please wait to be contacted by the NHS for your booster. The NHS website will be updated when the service is updated.

Vaccines are our best line of defence against COVID, and more than 145,000 Reading residents have had at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. To protect yourself and your loved ones, please get vaccinated and get your booster as soon as you are eligible. The Broad Street vaccine centre is open 7 days a week, 9am until 7pm, and you can make an appointment here.

Other ways to fight COVID-19
Along with getting vaccinated it is essential to:

practice good hygiene – wash and sanitise your hands, especially when you get home, to avoid transmitting the virus
keep your home and environment well ventilated
reduce the risk of passing on illness to friends, family, colleagues, and others in your community;
- self-isolate if you have COVID symptoms and get tested
- self-isolate if you are told to by NHS test and trace
take a rapid lateral flow test if you’ll be in a high-risk situation that day, or before you visit people who are at higher risk of severe illness. Find out how you can get free lateral flow tests here.

Avoid fake goods this Christmas
This week we have circulated advice from our Trading Standards team on pitfalls to avoid this Christmas having investigated reports of pedlars selling counterfeit perfume and aftershave out of shopping bags, which have been confirmed as fake.

At this time of year, many pop-up stalls and pedlars are circulating, often selling fake goods. Christmas shoppers are also advised to avoid unsafe toys available online.

The advice is to carefully research sellers and ask yourself:

are you buying directly from an online platform or is it a third-party seller?
what do you know about the seller's reputation for selling safe goods?
is the seller based in the UK?
does the seller provide a name and address for you to contact?

For consumer advice or to report unsafe products call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline on 0808 223 1133. The Council is also supporting the annual national anti-loan shark campaign #AllIWantForChristmas, which you can read more on below.

Christmas celebrations
We are counting down to Christmas and to celebrate the season, residents are invited to join The Mayor of Reading at the annual Civic Carol Service. This festive-filled event will be held at The Minster Church of St Mary the Virgin on Thursday 16 December at 6.30pm. Don't forget the Twilight Trail starts tomorrow and runs until 31 December, so book your tickets if you haven't already.

Housing team wins national award
Finally, congratulations to our Housing team who won Homebuilder of the Year at the UK Housing Awards on Thursday, rewarding teams who lead the housing sector by example with their passion and commitment. Judges were "impressed with the range of properties the council was delivering, with their projects aiming to provide much needed homes for a broad cross-section of society, from supported housing to housing for the key workers that have served us so well throughout the pandemic.” I am proud of their dedication and skill in helping Reading’s residents from all walks of life to access increasing and improving housing.

WATCH OUT FOR LOAN SHARKS THIS CHRISTMAS

Research shows that Christmas is the second highest reason that people borrow money from loan sharks. Families are being warned not to turn to predatory loan sharks charging excessive amounts of interest if they are facing financial hardship over Christmas.

People are being advised to watch out for warning signs of loan sharks and report them if they are approached by one and if you really need to borrow money, check the lender is reputable and find out what interest and fees they charge. You can find out whether a money lender is authorised by checking the register on the FCA website.

Loan sharks are increasingly using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat to advertise their illegal loans and target potential victims. We urge you to be wary of people you don’t know sending messages through social media accounts.

You should also check you are getting all the financial support you are entitled to. Find out more on the Council’s website.

Anyone with concerns about illegal money lending can contact the Stop Loan Sharks 24/7 Helpline in confidence on 0300 555 2222.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST COVID-19 RESPONSE NEWS FROM READING BOROUGH COUNCIL

With the latest advice and service information changing regularly, you can keep up to date by following our dedicated page to the Covid-19 response here: https://www.reading.gov.uk/coronavirus
Please also follow us on Facebook and Twitter (links below) for regular updates.

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Reading Borough Council
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