Advice and support for residents
Last updated: 6 November at 15:02
On this page you'll find links to information and support for COVID-19.
The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:
- a new continuous cough
- a high temperature
- a loss of, or change in, your normal sense of taste or smell (anosmia)
If you have any of these symptoms, you must self-isolate at home for 10 days, and get a COVID test.
Stay as far away from other members of your household as possible, especially if they are at higher risk. Avoid using shared spaces such as kitchens and other living areas if you can.
Testing positive
If your test is positive, you must stay at home for the 10-day isolation period.
If you have no symptoms but test positive, you should self-isolate for 10 days from the day the test was taken. If you then develop symptoms, you must restart the 10 days from the day your symptoms started.
Testing negative
If your test is negative, you can stop self-isolating as long as you are well.
If you live in the same household as someone with COVID-19
You should stay at home for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day the first person in your house developed symptoms or, if they do not have symptoms, from the day their test was taken.
You only need to take a test if you develop symptoms.
NHS COVID-19 app
The NHS COVID-19 app is the fastest way to see if you're at risk from coronavirus.
Bin collections
Please help keep our waste collection crew safe by:
- putting contaminated waste, such as used tissues and disposable cleaning cloths, straight into disposable rubbish bags
- placing these rubbish bags into another bag and tying it securely
- keeping it aside for at least 72 hours before putting it into your usual external household waste bin (not recycling)
If you have certain health conditions, you might be at higher risk from COVID-19. You don't need to shield, but you should take extra care.
You should:
- be especially careful to follow the rules and minimise your contacts with others
- wash your hands regularly and thoroughly, and clean surfaces in your home more often too
If you are clinically extremely vulnerable to coronavirus, you should work from home during lockdown. If you can't work from home, you should not go to work and may be able to claim Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) or Employment Support Allowance (ESA).
Read more guidance on protecting people at more risk from COVID-19
A support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.
You can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household. Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble.
You can make a support bubble if:
- you live by yourself
- you are a single parent living with children who were under 18 on 12 June 2020
Children of parents who are separated can continue to move between households.
Find information about changes to council tenant services and how to get support with your tenancy during lockdown.
You may be eligible for a £500 support payment if you're on a low income and have been told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace.
If you need financial help, there's lots of support available including:
- help if you've lost your job
- advice on finding work
- what to do if you can't work because of COVID-19
There are lots of local organisations that can help if you're struggling.
Lots of local restaurants, cafés and greengrocers are offering delivery.
If your income has been affected by coronavirus and you can't pay your council tax, there are several options available to you.
Schools and universities remain open. You can move home and travel to attend, or work at, a university or higher educational establishment.
If you live at university, you must not move back and forward between your permanent home and student home during term time. You should only return home at the end of term.
In secondary schools, colleges and universities, teachers and students must wear face coverings in corridors, communal areas and areas where social distancing is difficult.
In primary schools children do not need to wear face coverings but head teachers may ask staff or visitors to wear face coverings in areas where social distancing is not possible.
You should avoid travelling in or out of your local area, and reduce the number of journeys you make. There are reasons you can still travel, including:
- to work if you can't work from home
- to education and for caring responsibilities
- for hospital, GP and other medical appointments, or if you have had an accident or are concerned about your health
- to visit venues that are still open, such as supermarkets
- for exercise, but only if you need to make a short journey to do so