Covid Update around guidance after 19^th July 2021

The Government in England has announced the removal of most legal restrictions that were put in place to reduce the risk of transmission COVID-19 from July 19^th 2021 in England.

The Government have said they will provide guidance to the public and to businesses/organisations on how they can help reduce the spread of COVID-19 and mitigate the risk of a resurgence that puts the NHS under unsustainable pressure.

There has been no change to the guidance for social care settings, and the Government has indicated that current infection control practices, including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), need to continue within social care settings.

This means that our colleagues will continue to follow the control measures which we have in place around Distancing, Hand Hygiene, Cleaning, Ventilation, Testing and PPE, whenever they are at work. The routine testing schedules which are being followed in our services will continue.

When there is an update to the guidance for people working in social care settings we will see how this changes our ways of working and issue guidance as soon as possible.

Lifting restrictions does not mean that the risks from COVID-19 have disappeared. Instead, it marks a new phase in the Government’s response to the pandemic during which people need to manage the risks to themselves and others as the country learns to live with the virus. Building on the updated guidance on meeting friends and family announced as part of step 3, the Government will provide advisory guidance on how people can manage the risks to themselves and to others. It is important that when we are supporting people that they can be provided with information to decide how they want to act to manage the risks to themselves and others.

The Government advice currently sets out how the following behaviours are beneficial:

1. Meeting in well-ventilated areas where possible, such as outdoors or indoors with windows open.
2. Wearing a face covering where you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet in enclosed and crowded spaces.
3. Washing your hands with soap and water or using hand sanitiser regularly throughout the day.
4. Covering your nose and mouth when you cough and sneeze.
5. Staying at home if unwell, to reduce the risk of passing on other illnesses onto friends, family, colleagues, and others in your community.
6. Considering individual risks, such as clinical vulnerabilities and vaccination status.

Please get in touch with the teams at individual services if you need more detailed advice.

Many Thanks

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