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Latest government updates
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On Wednesday, (8 July) The Chancellor of the Exchequer announced a £30 billion, three point plan to support, create and protect jobs. This plan included:
- Providing up to £10 per head on sit-down meals from Monday-Wednesday in August, to support restuaurants and their workers.
- Reducing VAT to 5% for goods in hospitality and tourism
- Removing Stamp Duty on homes worth up to £500,000
- Providing vouchers to homeowners to pay for green improvements.
- Offering businesses £1,000 for every staff member brought back from furlough and employed until January 2021
- Creating new jobs for 16-24 year olds at risk of long-term unemployment by paying the young person's wages and over heads for 6 months.
- Paying employers £1,000 to take on new trainees, £2000 to hire young apprentices and £1,500 to hire apprentices over 25.
Following further updates yesterday (9 July), you can find information on the Government website on what you can and can't do, including information on the opening of beauty salons from 13 July and the opening gyms and fitness centres from 25 July.
From Monday 6 July guidance for those shielding was also updated, including no longer needing to socially distance from those you live with and forming a 'support bubble' with a single adult household.
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Eddie Mulholland / The Daily Telegraph
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Throughout lockdown, council staff and volunteers have been packing and delivering food supplies to vulnerable people in Swindon. After making daily drop offs since the end of March, on Wednesday (8 July), we delivered our 1,000th box.
This 1,000th box was even hand-packed by Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall before it was delivered by volunteers.
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On Monday 6 July, Her Royal Highness, The Duchess of Cornwall, joined our Live Well Hub, to thank some of the staff who have made over 8,000 welfare calls, delivered medication to thousands of residents and supported hundreds of patients who have been discharged from hospital.
The Duchess also met with volunteers to thank them for keeping our vital services running, while also supporting the most vulnerable.
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You might have started seeing more vans like this one out and about across the town.
We’ve partnered up with SSE Enterprise Contracting to convert 28,000 street lights to LED lanterns which will consume less energy, reduce light pollution and save almost £800k each year. This upgrade is expected to reduce the amount of energy purchased and used by the Council by over 60%, while also providing better lighting and smarter technology. Find out more
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Photos taken before lockdown
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Our staff are going above and beyond to make sure those living in care homes keep in regular contact with their loved ones during the pandemic.
John, who has Dementia, was moved to Fessey House last August, but due to the risk of infection, his wife Kath has been unable to see him since March.
The couple are keeping in regular contact though, through FaceTime meaning Kath is less worried about being separated from John.
Kath said: "I don’t have enough praise for the manger and staff. John is always looking well dressed and his room’s always tidy and clean.”
“There’s always something to do there. When visits were allowed they have had visits from people who bring in dogs and even alpacas and they loved that. The residents are never just sitting there – there’s always music, and if they want to get up and have a jig, they can and they really like it.”
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Last week, Cabinet agreed to extend the food waste collection to all households in the borough. Officers will now begin to plan how and when the food waste service is delivered to residents.
Introducing this service to all Swindon households will provide a sustainable use for the borough’s food waste, driving up our recycling rate by an estimated four per cent.
We will continue to keep you up-to-date with the progress of the roll-out and will provide all households with guidance on using the service in due course. In the meantime, we can all take action to reduce our food waste. Find out more at Love Food Hate Waste.
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We’ve been awarded more than £200,000 from the Government to make changes to Swindon’s roads so it’s easier for you to walk and cycle.
As we recover from the pandemic, we want you to be able to social distance safely when you’re out and about. We're proposing changes to several locations including Station Road, Farnsby Street/Commerical Road and Crombey Street, amongst others.
All the measures are intended to limit the spread of coronavirus and help you to travel safely. If everything runs smoothly, we’re aiming to be able to start making the changes by early August. Find the full details here.
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While working from home, our Speech and Language Therapists have adapted their ways of working so they can continue offering advice and support to families and over 2,000 children and young people who rely on them. Using video calls, email and phone, the team has also been able to complete assessments, provide therapy and issue resources to help service users develop their communication skills.
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As the coronavirus pandemic continues, we want to make sure people are protected, particularly as more shops, businesses and schools reopen. We need to monitor where and when coronavirus cases are confirmed and take quick action if there is a local outbreak.
Our Local Outbreak Management Plan details what actions would take place if there was an outbreak in the borough.
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Anyone with symptoms can be tested for coronavirus.
If you're experiencing a new, continuous cough, high temperature or loss of or change to your normal sense of smell or taste, book a test at the Wroughton Park & Ride site.
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More sources of information
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