Coronavirus (COVID-19): Information, advice and guidance

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North Lincolnshire CouncilPeople, health and careCoronavirus (Covid-19)

Coronavirus (Covid-19)

For general guidance visit Coronavirus (COVID-19) information, advice and guidance.

To follow any changes to this service, visit the Council Service Updates page.

Support for vulnerable people
Support your community
Support and advice for businesses
Council services updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a new illness which affects people’s lungs and airways. The virus spreads between people like flu, via respiratory droplets from coughing. The time between exposure and symptom onset is typically five days but may range from two to 14 days. Symptoms are most often fever, cough, and shortness of breath.

Monday 18 May

The latest guidance relating to symptoms of Coronavirus (COVID-19) include:

“All individuals should self-isolate if they develop a new continuous cough or fever or anosmia. Anosmia is the loss of or a change in your normal sense of smell. It can also affect your sense of taste as the two are closely linked”.

Individual’s households should also self-isolate for 14 days as per the current guidelines and the individual should stay at home for 7 days, or longer if they still have symptoms other than cough or loss of sense of smell.

This page details the latest, accurate information and advice anyone can follow to help prevent the spread of the virus. It also links to the latest guidance for people, schools, businesses and care settings.

Looking after yourself

During challenging times, it’s really important we look after ourselves and those around us. This includes our physical health and just as importantly, our mental wellbeing.

There are five steps you can take to improve your mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel more positive and able to get the most out of life.

Five ways to wellbeing

National advice and guidance – Stay Alert

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home as much as possible. The government introduced new measures on 10 May to maintain control of Covid-19.

We can all help control the virus if we all stay alert. This means you must:

  • Stay at home as much as possible
  • Work from home if you can
  • Limit contact with other people
  • Keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)
  • Wash your hands regularly

Self-isolate if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.

Every person in the UK must comply with these new measures. The relevant authorities, including the police, have been given the powers to enforce them – including through fines and dispersing gatherings.

Read the full guidance on staying alert and safe (social distancing) at the Government website. Latest advice can be found on the coronavirus page on the NHS website.

If you would like further clarification on what you can and cannot do, visit the Government’s Coronavirus outbreak FAQs page.

The Government have produced a leaflet, Coronavirus: stay home, protect the NHS, save lives and it is available in easy read and in many other languages on the Government website.

Local advice and guidance

North Lincolnshire Council staff are working hard to support residents during the coronavirus pandemic.

Support form for residents

Please make use of online guidance first, and, if you don’t find the information or support you need, complete the new coronavirus support form. Only use our contact centre number if you really have to. This will help staff to allocate your request and prioritise supporting our most vulnerable residents.

This form is designed for residents.

Complete the coronavirus support form for residents.

For business support please visit the Invest in North Lincolnshire website.

Support for black, Asian and minority ethnic communities (BAME)

British Asian celebrities have joined forces to create a Covid-19 video appeal aimed at promoting safety measures within the British Asian community amid the Coronavirus pandemic. Watch the video below from the celebrities encouraging you to follow the rules.

Travel advice

Everyone is being urged to stop all non-essential contact with others and stop all unnecessary travel.

British nationals aged 70 and over, and those with underlying health conditions such as chronic diseases and diabetes, have been advised not to travel.

Waste guidance

Waste from possible cases and cleaning of areas where possible cases have been (including disposable cloths and tissues):

  1. Should be put in a plastic rubbish bag and tied when full.
  2. The plastic bag should then be placed in a second bin bag and tied.
  3. It should be put in a suitable and secure place and marked for storage until the individual’s test results are known.

Waste should be stored safely and kept away from children. You should not put your waste in communal waste areas until negative test results are known or the waste has been stored for at least 72 hours.

  • if the individual tests negative, this can be put in with the normal fortnightly waste collection
  • if the individual tests positive, then store it for at least 72 hours and put in with the normal fortnightly waste collection

If storage for at least 72 hours is not appropriate, arrange for collection as a Category B infectious waste either by contacting 01724 297000 or customerservice@northlincs.gov.uk. We will supply you with orange clinical waste bags for you to place your bags into so the waste can be sent for appropriate treatment.

Fraud and coronavirus

National Trading Standards are warning people to remain vigilant following a rise in coronavirus-related scams. Scams identified include doorstep crime, online scams, refund scams, counterfeit goods, telephone scams, donation scams and loan sharks.

For more information on the types of scams that have been identified, please visit the National Trading Standards website.

For guidance on how to avoid being scammed and reporting fraud, please visit the fraud and corruption page on the North Lincolnshire Council page.

Read a letter from Humberside Police containing advice on scams [PDF, 404KB]

Guidance for schools, businesses, health and social care providers and landlords and tenants

Guidance for schools

On Thursday 19 March the Government shared further advice.

If your work is critical to the COVID-19 response, or you work in one of the critical sectors listed below, and you cannot keep your child safe at home then your children will be prioritised for education.
provision. If you are in doubt, please check with your employer, then inform your school.

  • Health and social care
  • Education and childcare
  • Key public services
  • Local and national government
  • Food and other necessary goods
  • Public safety and national security
  • Transport
  • Utilities, communication and financial services

For more information, visit the guidance for schools, colleges and local authorities on maintaining educational provision page on the Government website.

On Wednesday 18 March the Government published new advice for schools.

  • Schools to close to the vast majority of pupils after the end of the school day on Friday 20 March. Exceptions are children of key workers (including NHS staff) and most vulnerable children.
  • Nurseries and private schools should also close
  • Exams that were due to take place in May and June are cancelled
  • Parents urged not to leave children with older family members

Guidance for businesses and health and social care providers

On Tuesday 17 March the Chancellor announced a £350bn support package to help businesses.

Included in these measures are:

  • Extending the business rates holiday to all firms in the hospitality sector
  • Funding grants of between £10,000 and £25,000 for small businesses
  • Mortgage lenders will offer a three-month mortgage holiday

Further guidance is available by clicking the links below:

Guidance for landlords and tenants

Tuesday 19 May, 9.30am

The Minister of Housing has sent a letter setting out the measures that are in place to support social housing residents during the next phase towards reopening society. This letter is being sent directly to all social housing residents. Read the Minister’s letter. 

 

The Government has published non-statutory guidance for landlords and tenants in the private and social rented sectors on:

  • Measures relating to notices seeking possession as amended by the Coronavirus Act 2020
  • Court action on possession cases during the coronavirus outbreak
  • Property access and health and safety obligations in the context of coronavirus restrictions

Read the guidance for landlords and tenants in full at the Government website.

Guidance for food businesses

The government has published guidance for food businesses which may continue to open (such as takeaway services and supermarkets).

This includes information on:

  • Maintaining Social Distancing
  • Food Hygiene
  • Managing Employee Sickness

The full guidance can be found on the Government website.

Additional guidance is also provided by the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH).

Contact Details

If you have a query about council services during this time, please make use of online guidance first and if you don’t find the information or support you need, complete the coronavirus support form.  Please only use our contact centre number if you really have to. This will help staff to prioritise supporting our most vulnerable residents and allocate your request.

customerservice@northlincs.gov.uk
01724 297000

Opening Hours

Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm

Saturday 6 June and Sunday 7 June, 9am to 6pm