Author: Sarah

Hodnet Roadworks 3-5 March 2021

Oh deep joy and happiness, multi-way traffic lights at the Drayton Road/Shrewsbury Street/Church Street junction while Openreach dig up the road.

Delays are likely.

Mobile Police Station in Hodnet

Officers from the Safer Neighbourhood Team will be in Hodnet on Tuesday, 2nd March from 11.30 – 12.30.

The mobile police station will be situated between the village shop and the church.

Although there is an awning, should it be raining, it is essentially an outdoors unit with social distancing easy to maintain. The officers want residents to feel that there is a regular point of contact for raising any concerns or worries and they are keen to meet us. If you are out for your daily walk, why not stop for a chat?

Concerns can also be reported to the Safer Neighbourhood Team via email: marketdrayton.snt@westmercia.pnn.police.uk

They are also on Twitter: @MDraytonCops. Twitter should not be used for reporting incidents.

Coronavirus: A decline in cases, but Shropshire’s 7-day infection rate is higher than the national average

During the 7-day period from 12-18 February 2021 in Shropshire:

  • 428 new cases reported
  • This was a decrease of 64 (13%) cases compared to the previous week
  • The seven-day infection rate for Shropshire was 132.5 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 of the population.
  • For the West Midlands it was 160.4 per 100,000
  • For England it was 121.3 per 100,000
  • There were 22 COVID-19-related deaths in Shropshire hospitals
  • 91 hospital beds at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal Hospitals were occupied by COVID-19 patients
  • 91 cases relate to people under the age of 30
  • 57 cases relate to people aged 70+
  • During the last week 35% of cases were in the Shrewsbury & Atcham area
  • 40% were in north Shropshire
  • 25% were in south Shropshire

Coronavirus: Unpaid carers to receive their vaccinations

As of today, 23 February, unpaid carers aged 18-64 can book a vaccination appointment via the national booking system without receiving a letter. To be eligible, they need to be in receipt of carer’s allowance. They can book online at: www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination or call 119 free of charge, between 7am and 11pm, seven days a week

Carers aged 18 to 64 who do not receive carers allowance and are not already registered with their council’s Carers Support Centre, should do so. They will then be contacted to book an appointment at a local centre.

Carers aged 16 or 17 are not eligible to book via the national booking system. If these young carers are not already registered with their council’s Carers Support Centre they should do this and be supported to book their vaccination.

Carers aged 65 and over can already book on the national system, providing they have already received a letter inviting them to do so. Invitations to all over 65s to book appointments have been issued since mid-February.

Carers are defined as those caring for an elderly or disabled person who is at increased risk of Covid-19 mortality and are therefore clinically vulnerable.

A53 Closure 24-25 February 2021

In Shawbury, between 09.30 and 16.00 each day, for urgent carriageway repairs. Access will be available to buses, emergency vehicles, local businesses and residents.

There is the usual long diversion via the A41 & A49. Take care on local roads.

PPE for Unpaid Carers

Important changes to the eligibility criteria and distribution routes for an Emergency PPE supply for unpaid carers

Following on from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) Social Care Working Group announcement on 25 January 2021, all unpaid carers can access an emergency supply of PPE through the local authority.

Unfortunately, the link sent with the email I received doesn’t work, so unpaid carers in Shropshire can access emergency PPE supplies from Shropshire Council using the following contact details:

Margarete Davies

Carer Lead, Community Partnerships, Adult Social Care, Shropshire Council

01743 255776  

 Margarete.Davies@shropshire.gov.uk

Shropshire records lowest weekly COVID-19 cases since December 2020

During the 7-day period from 5–11 February 2021 in Shropshire:

  • 492 new cases reported
  • This was a decrease of 150 (23%) cases compared to the previous week
  • The seven-day infection rate for Shropshire was 152.3 cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 of the population.
  • For the West Midlands it was 196.4 per 100,000
  • For England it was 147.7  per 100,000
  • There were 40 COVID-19-related deaths in Shropshire hospitals
  • 101 hospital beds at the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal Hospitals were occupied by COVID-19 patients
  • 119 cases relate to people under the age of 30
  • 58 cases relate to people aged 70+
  • During the last week 32% of cases were in the Shrewsbury & Atcham area
  • 44% were in north Shropshire
  • 24% were in south Shropshire

A41 Closure 15-19 February 2021

An urgent road closure from the end of Bletchley Dual Carriageway to Upper College Junction, Whitchurch, between 09.30 and 16.00 to repair carriage defects.

Access will be maintained for nurses, emergency vehicles, local businesses and residents.

The diversion route is the usual long A53/A49 one. It’s likely therefore that there will be increased traffic on local roads, particularly through Hodnet and Marchamley, so do take extra care.

Call for people aged 70 and over to contact NHS for a COVID jab

The last invites to those aged 70 and over on the Shielded Patients List who are yet to be vaccinated have now either been delivered or are due to arrive this week (w/c 8th Feb), meaning vaccines have been offered to everyone eligible whose contact details the NHS has.

To ensure that nobody is left behind, the NHS is now asking people in this group who have not had their first dose yet to come forward now and make an appointment.

People are requested to book their appointment through the national booking service and not through their GP. This is the easiest way to arrange a vaccination and can be accessed at www.nhs.uk/covid-vaccination.

People should try to use the website where possible. For those who can’t, they can call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week. The phone line can get very busy, so people may choose to ring later in the day when it is less busy. British Sign Language, text relay and interpreter services are available.