‘Remain sensible over the Christmas period’

ROYAL BOROUGH: The borough is being urged to remain sensible over the Christmas period when rules over mixing of households are relaxed.

Across the UK, people will be able to form ‘bubbles’ of three households over a five-day period from December 23 to 27.

Speaking at a One Borough council meeting this week, head of communities David Scott said that ‘just because we can, it doesn’t mean we have to’.

Presenting the latest COVID-19 data to members, Mr Scott said the outlook in the Royal Borough was looking better but said he wanted to avoid a spike in virus cases after the festive season.

Rates of infection have ‘reduced steadily over the last couple of weeks’ since a peak of 198.1 per 100,000 people on November 12.

“The news is good and the direction of travel has been positive, but that is only going to continue as long as people stick to the rules,” he said.

“We are keen to make sure that the messaging around the five-day window around Christmas is understood. While the rules say we can, the overriding principle is that actually the fewer contacts we have, the safer.

“Just because we can, does not mean to say you have to. What we don’t want to see is a spike immediately after Christmas as a result of people becoming relaxed.”

Also discussed at the meeting were figures from the borough’s welfare calls, whereby call handlers would phone clinically vulnerable people to address their mental health and loneliness.

Royal Borough officer Anna Fallgren updated members on how many people the borough had supported since the helpline was set up. It runs 9am-4pm Monday to Friday.

A total of 2,764 residents were in touch with the borough throughout the pandemic as of December 7. Of these, 1,546 have wished to remain on the database and continue to be contacted, and

1,015 have declined to be contacted since rules on shielding were relaxed.

A total of 203 people that were originally supported have since passed away, Ms

Fallgren announced.

“The calls offer a source of human contact to residents who often are isolated, some who have barely left their homes since March, or even January,” she added.

“We have had feedback and appreciation for the calls that we have helped with their mental health.

“This project has been an ever-unfolding discovery [and] strengthening of co-operation with teams and community organisations in the borough.”