Update about Bolton Council's response to the pandemic.
What to do if you’ve not yet had your COVID-19 vaccination – and are either 70 and over or on the shielded list
The majority of people aged 70 and over or on the shielded patients list in Bolton should have now had their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
However, to ensure that nobody is left behind, people aged 70 and over, plus clinically extremely vulnerable adults on the shielded patients list, are being asked to come forward and make an appointment if they haven’t already done so.
You are advised to use the National Booking System to book an appointment without needing a letter. Members of the public not in these groups will still need to wait to be contacted (anyone under 70).
Appointment can be made online.
Appointments booked in this way will be made for the pharmacy-led site – Hootons Pharmacy at the Bolton Wanderers ground or another large vaccination centre or pharmacy-led site in the region, such as the Etihad Centre.
If you’re unable to use the national booking website, please call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.
If you’re not registered with a GP, we would advise you to do this via the NHS website; no proof of address or immigration status is needed.
Half term activities
The virus has not gone away and with national restrictions still in place keeping your children entertained during school holidays can be difficult.
We all still need to stay at home as much as we can to stop the virus spreading, wash our hands, keep our distance from others, and wear a face covering when we have to.
There are still things you and they can do from home during half term.
Spring into half-term with Bolton Libraries and Museum Services. Head to our Facebook page for nature book recommendations, activities, and crafts to keep your family entertained throughout the week.
The National Sport Trust has live activity sessions and lots of different resources for parents and children. Get involved with their ‘Stay-Cation’ activities such as active board games, garden games and indoor activities, as well as their ‘Wonder Woman’ challenge.
ParentZone – online guides, activities and resources for parents.
VoiceBox – Voice Box is an online space for 14-25 year olds to read and write about anything they want. Run by young people, for young people.
Hungry Little Minds – A government campaign which is fun, simple activities to do with 0-5 year olds.
South African COVID-19 variant – an update
There have been news reports that a recent study found the Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine is “less effective” against the South African variant of the virus.
This does NOT mean that the vaccine is ineffective.
Here are the key facts:
- The study suggests that the vaccine provides low to moderate efficacy (about 60% effective) against mild disease
- The vaccine still works well at preventing severe disease
- The vaccine still works against the predominant variants circulating in the UK and a booster designed specifically to address the South African variant is being readied.
What this means is that the vaccine may not reduce the number of mild cases (ie which don’t need hospital admission) caused by the South African variant but will still reduce severe disease, hospitalisation and deaths. If people do get disease, it will be predominantly mild.
This is still a significant level of protection and if people are offered the vaccine they should take it. The vaccine will still protect against severe disease, because it’s generation of antibody activity is the same as that of other Covid-19 vaccines that have demonstrated activity against more severe disease, and the spacing of the second dose to between 8-12 weeks actually acts like a booster.
The vaccine also still offers more protection against the new variant than the natural immunity from having been infected by the “original” virus so, even if you have had Covid already, you will have better immune response generated by the vaccine than your original infection.
Find out more about the vaccine.
Help to stop the spread in Bolton workplaces
A national lockdown still applies in all of England. You can only leave home for work purposes where it is unreasonable for you to do your job from home.
The virus is changing and is now more easily transmitted. Whilst the measures to prevent spread are the same, it is more important than ever to closely follow measures stringently at all times.
As a business there’s several important things you can do to keep your staff safe and stop the spread of the virus.
Workers can also get access to regular fast test to see if they have the virus – this is the Lateral Flow Device test for people without COVID-19 symptoms.
For further advice about what to do and for information about testing for people without COVID-19 symptoms see our website.
HSE making sure businesses are COVID-secure
The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is contacting businesses to make sure they are COVID-secure and to help tackle the virus.
It is working with the council and public health authorities to support the understanding of any patterns in confirmed coronavirus cases in the area.
During the checks inspectors provide advice and guidance to manage risk and protect workers, customers and visitors. Where some businesses are not managing this, they will take immediate action. This can range from the provision of specific advice, issuing enforcement notices, stopping certain work practices until they are made safe and, where businesses fail to comply, this could lead to prosecution.
Being COVID-secure means that businesses need to put adjustments in place to manage the risk and protect workers and others from coronavirus. For further information on how to manage the risk of coronavirus in different business sectors please read the government guidance.
For the latest information see www.gov.uk
Resident telephone survey - COVID-19
A telephone survey about the relationships between childhood adversity and health and wellbeing during COVID-19 is taking place across Bolton.
DJS Research Ltd is conducting the survey on behalf of Bolton Council, with Public Health Wales and Bangor University.
Members of DJS Research may contact you to ask you to take part (on 01663 761697). The information you provide will be anonymous and confidential.
Thank you in advance for giving your time to support this work.
For queries, please email publichealthexecsupport@bolton.gov.uk or call: 01204 337859 (Monday-Friday, 9-5).
Facts on Covid-19 vaccines – University of Bolton webinar – February 17
Health experts and community leaders join University of Bolton webinar to give the facts on COVID-19 vaccines.
Respected health experts and community leaders will take part in an informative webinar, hosted by the University of Bolton, to explain why having the COVID-19 vaccination is so important.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Webinar is entitled ‘Know the truth! Understand the advice, have the vaccine, protect yourself and your loved ones’.
The webinar is aimed especially at the BAME community, after some members of the community have expressed concern about having the vaccine for a variety of reasons, but everyone is welcome to join the webinar.
Distinguished speakers will include Professor Sanjay Arya, Medical Director at Wrightington, Wigan & Leigh Teaching Hospital; Dr Wirin Bhatiani, Chairman of Bolton’s Clinical Commissioning Group, Dr Helen Lowey, Bolton’s Director of Public Health, and Professor John Lumley, Founding Dean for the School of Medicine at the University of Bolton.
The webinar will run 3pm - 4.15pm.
Translated materials for our communities
If you work with communities Public Health England has produced a number of messages in several languages.
They are available to download here:
A range of Stay at Home translations are now available:
- Social Media
- Translated posters promoting drive through testing and self-isolation are now available in 11 languages from the Campaign Resource Centre.
- A range of local and national assets in different languages can also be found here.
Free sign language course available to everyone
A NEW initiative to encourage more members of the public to take up sign language as an extra language and skill, is now available to residents of Greater Manchester. The Signs4Life scheme is to help people to communicate and engage with children and adults who may have hearing impairments.
Hana Riaz, Signs4Life partnerships officer, explains “There are more than nine million hearing-impaired people registered in the UK. We have already worked with Manchester Youth Justice, Families Together, the local NHS, and Royal Mail.
We wanted to open our programs to the general public, who might also have an interest in learning sign language, especially now that many people are stuck at home during this third lockdown. We are offering a free 6-week BSL program, which you can enjoy and access from the comfort of your homes, delivered through Zoom”.
For more details on the free community program, due to start after Easter half-term, please email Hana at community@signs4life.org.
Climate, Fairtrade and you-Fairtrade Fortnight 2021
It’s Fairtrade Fortnight from February 22 – March 7, and this year we would like you to get behind Fairtrade so that farmers overseas can benefit from fairer prices, fairer trading practices and the resources needed for tackling the climate emergency in climate vulnerable countries.
With the emergence of the COVID pandemic, the challenges that farmers face now are bigger than ever before with falling commodity prices and widespread shocks reverberating along our global supply chains. Ongoing poverty in farming communities makes it increasingly hard to cope with the effects of climate change.
As a Fairtrade town, we would like you to join us in supporting the farmers and workers who grow our food. This year things are a little different, but you can still support Fairtrade by choosing Fairtrade products when you are out shopping and joining in events online.
Justicia, Bolton’s very own fair trade Shop, sell a range of fairly traded products and are open for click and collect.
Bolton Council’s Money Skills Service offers free debt and money advice
The Covid-19 pandemic affected the livelihoods of many and left people struggling to pay their bills.
Bolton’s Money Skills Service offers free advice on managing money more effectively with budgeting and identifying any financial grants and assistance that is available.
The service also helps with rent arrears, council tax, energy bills, credit cards and other loans and debts and can negotiate more affordable repayments and assist with court forms, debt relief orders and bankruptcy.
If you or someone you know needs financial help and guidance contact the Money Skills team 01204 33965, or email moneyadvice@bolton.gov.uk.
Bolton’s fund to support green community projects
Community groups and young people in Bolton are being encouraged to apply for a share of £50,000 worth of funding for projects to reduce the impact of climate change.
£12m council programme to repair Bolton’s roads is to be extended
A huge scheme to repair and improve residential roads has been so effective that it means more roads can be done.
Little Lever, Horwich and Westhoughton are steering in the right direction for regeneration funding
Major strides forward have been achieved in Horwich, Little Lever and Westhoughton to prioritise projects to receive a share of £16m town centre regeneration funding.
Time is running out for businesses in Bolton to apply for Greater Manchester bounce back loans
Businesses in Bolton struggling due to the coronavirus pandemic are being reminded by GC Business Growth Hub that loans of up to £50,000 are available to support them but time is running out to apply.