The Government announced this week that the COVID-19 measures put in place under Plan B in England will be lifted.

This means:

• The Government is no longer asking people to work from home if they can. People should now talk to their employers to agree arrangements to return to the office.
• Face coverings are no longer advised for staff and pupils in secondary school and college classrooms.
• From 27 January: There will no longer be a legal requirement to wear a face covering, but the Government suggests that you continue to wear a face covering in crowded and enclosed spaces where you may come into contact with other people you do not normally meet.
• From 27 January: Venues and events will no longer be required by law to check visitors’ NHS COVID Pass. The NHS COVID Pass can still be used on a voluntary basis.
• From 27 January: Face coverings will no longer be advised for staff and pupils in communal areas of secondary schools, nor for staff in communal areas of primaries.
• The guidance is due to be updated shortly to include more information on these changes.

COVID-19 case rates in Swindon remain high and the virus will be a feature of our lives for the foreseeable future, so we need to learn to live safely and manage the risk to ourselves and others. 

We all need to do what we can to reduce the spread of COVID-19 to protect others and to reduce the risk of new variants developing and spreading.

Remember: anyone with COVID-19 symptoms or a positive test result should stay at home and self-isolate immediately. If you have symptoms, you should arrange to take a PCR test as soon as possible, even if you’ve had one or more doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. If you take a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) you no longer need to take a follow-up PCR but must still isolate.

Around 22,500 people in Swindon who are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine have yet to come forward. It’s never too late to book a vaccine - getting fully vaccinated is the best way of protecting you and others.

Visit the Council’s website (click on the ‘Getting vaccinated’ section) for details of walk-in clinics in Swindon and information on a free return taxi journey to a COVID-19 vaccination site for eligible residents.

Changes to self-isolation guidance

Under current guidance, if you receive a positive Lateral Flow Test (LFT) for COVID-19, you don't need to take a confirmatory PCR test but should continue to self-isolate. Your period of self-isolation can now end after five full days, if you receive a negative LFT result on days five and six, and you don’t have a high temperature.

The tests must be taken 24 hours apart. If either test is positive, you must continue to self-isolate until you get two negative rapid LFT results taken 24 hours apart, or until you have completed 10 full days of self-isolation. More guidance around self-isolation can be found on the NHS website.

Vaccine walk-in clinics

We are holding two vaccine walk-in clinic next week:

• Tuesday, 25 January from 10am to 6pm – Sanford House, Sanford Street, Swindon, SN1 1HE
• Thursday, 27 January from 9am to 5pm - John Moulton Hall, Penhill Drive, Swindon, SN2 5DU

These clinics will be offering first, second and booster doses.

You can also find the dates of other local walk-in clinics on the NHS walk-in site finder.

Don't forget to report your test results

Regular testing is one of the best ways to prevent spreading COVID-19 to others, and is especially important when you're meeting others who are at higher risk of getting seriously ill from the virus.

But whether you test positive or negative on a lateral flow test, it's important to remember to report your results online, to help the NHS reduce the spread of the virus.

Grab a cab to a vaccination site in Swindon

Swindon residents who are experiencing financial hardship or who have mobility issues and no practical means to get to a local vaccination centre, can book a free return taxi journey to a COVID-19 vaccination site until 31 January 2022. If you meet this criteria, you must book your vaccination appointment in advance using the NHS booking system, and then call V Cars quoting our account number and password. 

You can find out more on our website.

The Drink Valley expands in the town centre

Although it’s true that we don’t own many of the retail units in the town centre or set the rents, we do work with owners and landlords to help them bring their buildings back into use.

A recent example of this is The Drink Valley on Fleet Square.

We worked with Dhiraj Pujari to relocate his business from The Brunel to his new location which offered him more space and has allowed him to open up his own microbrewery and bar alongside his shop.

Dhiraj said: “We were looking for an expansion into our next stage. We couldn’t go ahead at The Brunel so we started looking at other units in the area.

“Now we have our own brewery, a new thing for this side of town. We have a bar and our craft beer shop as well. 

He added: “It’s been straightforward reopening, the Council has helped us with our planning and licensing applications, everything went really well.

“It’s going to take time. Big premises were taken up by big companies but they’re leaving. Now it’s up to smaller businesses to open which will give more confidence to bigger businesses."

To find out more about the challenges and what is being done to support the area, visit our website

Art on Tour is kicking off 2022 with three new exhibitions

STEAM Museum, Swindon Museum & Art Gallery (Civic Offices), and Highworth Museum will feature over 50 paintings, prints and ceramics from Swindon’s modern and contemporary art collection. 

All the exhibitions will be free to view during the venues’ opening times as well as free Lunchtime Talks programme to accompany them. 

Find full dates & times here

You can email ArtOnTour@swindon.gov.uk to book your place and follow the Art on Tour on Instagram

Reducing rough sleeping in Swindon

After agreeing our Reducing Rough Sleeping Strategy in 2019, we are now taking the time to reflect on our current strategy and look forward to how we work towards continuing to improve services and reduce rough sleeping in Swindon.

We are inviting businesses, residents, service users and community and voluntary organisations to complete a short five-minute questionnaire. The survey will close on 31 January 2022, so you have just over a week to submit your views. We’ll then use the feedback to inform our next Reducing Rough Sleeping Strategy 2022-2027.

A419 Closure

On Monday (24 January), the contractor for the White Hart junction scheme, Osborne, will be closing the A419 northbound main carriageway from White Hart junction to Rat Trap junction for five nights to install safety fencing and new noise barriers.

The work will be carried out overnight between the hours of 9pm and 6am, with the final night of work taking place on Friday, 28 January.

A diversion route will be clearly signposted for motorists during the closures. The road will re-open during the day-time for traffic to use.

For more information on these works and others as part of the New Eastern Villages (NEV) road upgrades, sign up to the NEV newsletter.

Get fit for free in 2022 with the Active Swindon Challenge

Are you struggling to stick to your New Year's fitness resolutions? We’ve got just the thing to keep you on track.

The Active Swindon Challenge app has just launched in the App Store and on Google Play. Download the app for free and earn points and prizes for leaving the car at home in favour of walking, running, cycling or taking public transport to get around Swindon.

Take part in time-limited challenges and see how you fare against other residents in the Borough through individual and team leader boards.

To find out more visit the Swindon Travel Choices website. If you want to know how active travel can save you money, slash your carbon footprint and improve your health, visit the Be the Change webpages.

Has ‘Don’t Look Up’ got you thinking about climate change?

It’s been streaming in Netflix’s Top 10 for weeks now and stars some of the highest profile actors in the business – but what’s it got to do with Swindon?

If you’re a Netflix addict then you’re bound to have watched Don’t Look Up, a tongue in cheek satire which uses an impending comet strike as a cautionary tale for climate change.

The film highlights the need to start listening to the experts, acknowledging the science and taking action at all levels. Because this is a battle we can’t win until we start working together.

Sometimes the realities of climate change can feel overwhelming and it can be hard to know what actions will really make a difference. The good news is there’s no wrong first step, except no step at all.

Last summer we launched Be the Change – a Swindon-wide campaign which showcases what people and organisations in our community are already doing to tackle climate change and how you can help. Visit our website today to find out more or drop us an email if you want to share what changes you’ve been making in your life: communications@swindon.gov.uk

Live Well services open to all

Live Well Swindon is the first point of contact for local residents who want to make lifestyle changes for themselves.

We provide information, advice and signposting on a range of lifestyle topics. 

Typical conversations could be about being more physically active, weight management, stopping smoking, connecting to community life, volunteering, or managing a long term health condition.

To find out more contact the Live Well Hub on 01793 465513 or visit Live Well Swindon Hub.

Stop smoking drop-in clinic

Every Wednesday, our in-house Specialist Stop Smoking Adviser, Manuel, will be offering a Stop Smoking Drop In Clinic for anyone looking for advice and support on quitting smoking.

No appointments are necessary, and you can come in to receive free, non-judgmental support to kick the habit.

These clinics will be running weekly from 9am to 2pm at Sanford House (SN1 1HE) reception.