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Emergency Coronavirus Containment Measures
On Monday, the UK Prime Minister made an emergency announcement which affects us all. You are only allowed to leave your home for the following very limited purposes:
- Shopping for basic necessities, as infrequently as possible;
- One form of exercise outdoors per day – for example a run, walk, or cycle – alone or with members of your household;
- Any medical need, to provide care or to help a vulnerable person;
- Travelling to and from work, but only where this is absolutely necessary and cannot be done from home;
- You must stop all gatherings of more than two people in public – excluding people you live with;
- All social events, including weddings are banned, excluding funerals
The police have powers to enforce the rules, including through fines and dispersing gatherings. All shops selling non-essential goods, such as clothing and electronics are ordered to close. Libraries, playgrounds, outdoor gyms and places of worship are to close. These restrictions will be revisited in three weeks.
The full text of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Announcement can be read here. These guidelines are very similar to the announcements made by leaders of the Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Germany and Sweden. Click on the country names to read summaries from each country.
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Support During this Crisis
If you are finding life during the COVID-19 pandemic difficult and would like support on matters such as economic, health, educational, or social welfare - contact the Coronavirus Support Helpline. The United Kingdom phone number is 02081910911 and email address is coronasupport@iiuk.org. More information and European numbers can be found by clicking here.
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Savvy Saving
If you are struggling to pay your utility bills, the government has launched an emergency package with energy suppliers, for more information please click here. Reach out to your utility suppliers to discuss a payment plan that can work for you. As we remain indoors, we should remember to be sensible in usage of utilities in order to control an increase in amounts owed.
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Shielding to Protect the Most Vulnerable
Shielding will do more than any other measure to slow the spread of COVID-19. If you have received a letter from Public Health England or identify as at risk due to pre-existing health conditions, you are advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact for at least 12 weeks from 23 March. This includes those with severe respiratory conditions, cancers, organ transplants, and certain types of immunosuppressant treatments. If you receive a letter from PHE this week asking you to stay at home, please inform the helpline so that we can ensure you are supported during this period. For information on how to practice shielding or accessing support click here.
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Staying at Home is Seva
The seriousness of COVID-19 is clear. We must do all we can to protect each other. As a community that loves to do what we can to serve society around us, right now serving the community means Staying Home. Stay at home and self isolate even if you feel well, you may be spreading the virus without knowing so. You may be asymptomatic. Visiting friends and family, especially those who are high risk may be risking their health. If you require help contact the Coronavirus Support Helpline.
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Return to the UK now if you are Traveling Abroad
The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) advises British people traveling abroad to return to the UK now, if commercial flights are still available. International travel is becoming very limited as air routes close, land borders close and new restrictions are put in place that prevent flights from leaving, sometimes without notice. If you know of any family members who are UK citizens abroad, tell them to come home now. For more travel-related advice, please click here.
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Employment Support
Do you need help updating your CV? Are you looking for guidance on where to look for a new job? The AKEPB offers a confidential one to one advisory service to help murids with employment support. This includes:
- Careers advice
- Help updating your CV
- How to apply for a new job
- Available jobs and where to look
Please contact the employment casework team by emailing akepb@iiuk.org if you require assistance. We are here to help.
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Children’s Hand Washing Experiment
Try this quick and easy science experiment at home with your child to explain to them why it is important to wash their hands. To extend your child’s learning, during the experiment you could ask: What does the pepper represent? What do we need to add more of for the pepper to move away? What will happen if we add more pepper? You could also try out the experiment with salt instead of pepper to see what happens.
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