Coronavirus update from Surrey County Council - 30 March 2020
Foodbanks – in need of financial donations
Food banks would welcome assistance in the form of financial donations, which can either be made through the individual food banks or by visiting Surrey Information Point for details of local Surrey foodbanks here.
Alternatively, a financial donation can be made to The Trussell Trust – who look after more than 1,200 food bank centres across the UK. They provide a minimum of three days emergency food and support to people experiencing crisis. You can make a one-off donation to The Trussell Trust here.
Or Text TRUSSELL then your amount (eg TRUSSELL 5) to 70085
For donations to help the voluntary relief work in Surrey please visit:
https://www.cfsurrey.org.uk/surreycoronavirusresponsefund/
For donations to help voluntary relief work in Reigate and Banstead, please visit:
PPE equipment
The SCG PPE cell is continuing to look at additional solutions to ensure the security of supply. Revised national guidance on the use of PPE in different settings is expected imminently. PPE continues to be a key issue locally.
UPDATE - Community helpline for Surrey – opening hours extended to 8am – 6pm
We have set up our Community Helpline (0300 200 1008)and webpages for:
• residents who need the help of volunteers and community groups, or financial support
• people who want to help their community (through volunteering)
Behind this sits a partnership approach to a ‘community hub’ of information, support and guidance. We are working with district and borough councils, police, health and the voluntary, community and faith sector to:
• Provide help with shopping, prescription collections or ‘tele-befriending’ to those in self-isolation
• Place volunteers in local organisations providing help
We are particularly focused on providing help and support to those who are at high risk from severe illness if they contract COVID-19 due to underlying health conditions (the Government have described these people as ‘particularly vulnerable’ or in need of ‘shielding’).
We have begun to receive contact details for people in this group and we have started to make contact with them this weekend. We will be proactively contacting everyone over the coming weeks to offer them social support, as well as checking in on any immediate needs for essential supplies. The Government are delivering us some bulk food supplies for us to dispatch to residents who are very short on food, ahead of the Government setting up a weekly delivery service for the extremely vulnerable who have requested this help.
Members are well placed in their communities to sign post people in need of help – there’s lots of information on our website or via our helpline including:
- How to register for support as an extremely vulnerable person
- How to get help with shopping or prescriptions
- Benefits and funding advice
- Information about foodbanks
- How to connect in with local community and voluntary sector groups in your neighbourhood
- Advice to avoid getting scammed
- How to volunteer or make a financial donation
Highways update
Key repair and maintenance highways works are continuing through the coronavirus restrictions. Other works, such as resurfacing, are being paused. Some works are in the middle of construction and these will need to continue until they are safe enough to be stopped. More details are in the roadworks section of the website.
Single yellow lane parking
As most residents are staying at home, single yellow line parking restrictions in quiet residential roads are not being enforced. Residents should check with their district or borough council to find out about any flexible arrangements for council car parks, or if temporary parking permits are being issued. Parking on double yellow lines, zig zags and single yellow lines on main roads and in town centres will be enforced as normal for safety reasons. More details are in the parking section of the website.
Closure of countryside car parks
Regrettably, we have been left with no choice but to close all countryside car parks owned by Surrey County Council are now closed.
We have closed them in line with government advice, and consistent with other major countryside landowners, including RHS Wisley, National Trust, Forestry Commission at Alice Holt and Painshill, which have either closed car parks, or closed altogether as we all try to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Summary of current closures
Community Recycling Centres
All 15 of Surrey’s community recycling centres are closed, but waste transfer stations are open to support waste and recycling collections. Residents should check with their district or borough council for the latest collection updates and are asked to hold onto excess waste to prevent the service from becoming overwhelmed.
Surrey libraries closed
Regrettably all Surrey libraries are now closed for the foreseeable future. We will keep this under review and will be guided by national developments
For all the latest information on library closures and services on offer visit our website
Registry offices are currently open to continue with the registration of deaths only.
Bin collections
We’re doing everything we can to keep bin collections running as normal during the Coronavirus pandemic but it’s likely that some services will be impacted because of staff shortages.
Schools
- Numbers of children in schools has been lower than expected, our schools are managing
- If it is at all possible for children to be at home, then they should be. The message from central government is clear - If your work is not critical in the response to Coronavirus then please keep your child at home. Even the children of key workers should stay at home if at all possible.