Hereford Voice

Breaking News: Prince Charles has tested positive for coronavirus. Photo courtesy of SkyNews Clarence House confirmed that the 71-year-old royal had been diagnosed with the COVID-19 disease in a statement released this morning. The heir to the throne is said to have displayed "mild symptoms" but "otherwise remains in good health", and has been self-isolating in Scotland with the Duchess of Cornwall - who has tested negative for coronavirus.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has used a national TV address to set out strict new measures aimed at protecting people from the coronavirus outbreak. This is his statement in full: We have also attached the PM's full speech in a PDF format. Prime Minister Boris Johnson Statement.pdf

Coronavirus: School closures at the end of the day (Friday) but parents with the following essential jobs can continue to send their children to school. The government has released a full list of workers deemed "essential" to the COVID-19 response below: The list has been separated into eight categories: Health and social care Includes frontline health and social care staff - such as doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, as well as support and specialist staff in the health and social care sector. In addition, those working in supply chains, including producers and distributors of medicines and personal protective equipment, are included. Education and childcare Includes nursery, teaching staff and social workers, as the department said these workers are required to deliver their plans. Key public services Those required to run the justice system, religious staff, as well as those responsible for managing the deceased and journalists providing public service broadcasting are on the list. Local and national government The list "only includes administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the COVID-19 response or delivering essential public services", including payment of benefits. Food and other necessary goods Includes those involved in the production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery of food. Public safety and national security Police, support staff, Ministry of Defence civilian staff and armed forces personnel are on the list, along with fire and rescue staff, as well as those responsible for border security, prison and probation staff. Transport Includes those who will keep "air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the COVID-19 response". Utilities, communication and financial services Staff required to keep oil, gas, electricity, water and sewerage operations running are on the list, along with those in the civil nuclear, chemical and telecommunications sectors. Those in postal services and working to provide essential financial services provision are also included. The parents of vulnerable children are the other group of people allowed to continue sending their children to school. The government says this group will include those who have a social worker and those with Education, Health and Care Plans - a legal document that describes a child's special educational needs and the support they require. Many schools in England will shut their gates on Friday until further notice, as will nurseries, colleges and childminders. In Scotland and Wales, all schools will have closed by Friday, and schools in Northern Ireland are due to shut from Monday.

The Power of Social Distancing: The steps we take as individuals will limit the impact on the #NHS in the coming weeks. It may seem like you are doing nothing by staying at home 'where possible' but in fact this is the most important thing you can do to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus. If you need to work or have to leave your home for shopping etc please take sensible precautions and 'WASH YOUR HANDS REGULAR' however, If you do not need to go out, stay home folks. #HerefordVoice #Coronavirus

Breaking News: The education secretary Gavin Williamson has just announced in the House of Commons that ALL schools in ENGLAND will CLOSE at the end of the day on Friday until further notice.

PM tells Britons to avoid pubs, restaurants and non-essential travel. The government is now going to be holding daily televised news conferences concerning coronavirus, and today was the first one. The prime minister told a Downing Street news conference the number of coronavirus cases in the UK could now double every five or six days without "drastic action". "Today, we need to go further," Mr Johnson said, as he explained how the country now appeared to be approaching a "fast growth" period in the spread of COVID-19 - the prevalent strain of coronavirus.

Hereford River Carnival have announced their decision to postpone this year's event and move it from May to September 4. A message on their Facebook Page:

The B4224 road, from Fiddler’s Green to Fownhope, was severely damaged by Storm Dennis Although Herefordshire Council hope that their contractors will be able to repair and reopen the road much sooner, works may take until the end of September, inspections carried out last week reveal. The B4224 was dealt a double blow by the storm, which caused a 6.5 metre wide landslip and a separate partial collapse of a 100-metre long retaining wall. Safety and structural inspections of the road took place last week with BT Openreach, Cadent and Western Power Distribution also checking their services that run along it. BT Openreach will need to move two supply cables across the landslip. Only then can work to remove approximately 4,000 tonnes of loose material begin. This will require around 400 lorry journeys alone, before new material is brought to site to reconstruct the road. Some further investigations and specialist surveys also need to take place prior to the commencement of reconstruction work and these will take place within the next two weeks.Clive Hall, Acting Assistant Director of Highways and Transport at Herefordshire Council said: Herefordshire Council is expediting repairs to the B4224 from within its own reserves and will seek, in due course, to recover funding from central Government through flood-related Bellwin Funding or other sources. Diversion routes signposting access routes into the village for through traffic are now operating and their condition will be regularly inspected and monitored to ensure effectiveness. Diversion routes do differ for small vehicles and HGV’s. Motorists are being urged not to put themselves at risk of injury by attempting to drive along closed roads. Anyone with questions can call the Customer Services Team on 01432 261800.

Joint statement on confirmed COVID-19 case in Herefordshire Herefordshire Council, PHE and the NHS are well prepared to deal with coronavirus Sue Ibbotson, Centre Director, Public Health England West Midlands, said: Karen Wright, Director of Public Health for Herefordshire Council, said:

Here is another in Bridge Street Hereford

Basically...Flu

Herefordshire Council requests “vital support” from government following floods. Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the immediate cost of repairs following Storm Dennis to be around £10m Herefordshire Council has written a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson to request an extension to the Bellwin scheme and to request further “vital support” from central government following February’s unprecedented flood events. The letter dated 28 February 2020 was signed by Herefordshire Council’s Chief Executive Alistair Neill, Leader of the Council Councillor David Hitchiner and Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport Councillor John Harrington. In the letter, it was stated that the cost of repairs following Storm Dennis is currently estimated to be around £10m. A three month extension to the Bellwin period has been requested to account for the scale of flooding and assessing its impact. As of 3 March 2020, 405 residential and 102 business properties are understood to have been affected by February’s flood event. It was argued that the government could do more to support the recovery operation and the financial consequences of responding to the major incident caused by widespread flooding. Chief Executive of Herefordshire Council, Alistair Neill, said: Leader of Herefordshire Council, Councillor David Hitchiner, said: Councillor John Harrington, Cabinet Member for Infrastructure and Transport, said: The open letter to the Prime Minister is attached Letter to Boris Johnson Feb 2020.pdf

UPDATE>>> 14 March 2020 Ten more people have died after being diagnosed with coronavirus, with 1,140 cases now confirmed in the UK. It is the largest number of deaths announced on a single day since the start of the outbreak and brings the total number of fatalities to 21. The number of people testing positive for the infection was up by 342 from 798 at the same time on Friday. _________________ Breaking News: There are 12 new cases of Coronavirus in the UK taking the total to merely 51 people out of a population of over 66 million, is this an overreaction? Okay, for those of you that maybe worried, what are the coronavirus symptoms? Coronavirus is a respiratory disease which seems to start with a fever, followed by a dry cough. After a week, it leads to shortness of breath and some patients require hospital treatment. These symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness. They are similar to those for much more common viruses, such as colds and flu. In more severe cases, coronavirus can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, multiple organ failure and even death. Older people, and people with pre-existing medical conditions (such as asthma, diabetes, heart disease), are more likely to become severely ill. The incubation period, according the the World Heath Organization (WHO) between infection and showing any symptoms - lasts up to 14 days. What are your thoughts? Overreaction? Scaremongering? Or do you think differently?

Herefordshire Council has a Full Council meeting this Friday 6th March and has a motion that the executive investigates the introduction of area-wide 20mph speed limits across Herefordshire’s towns and major villages.

Okay so we have shopped around and taken extracts from various money saving advice websites and below we have listed IDENTICAL cold and flu medicines which cost a third of the price. Most of us probably know that big-brand medicines often contain the same active ingredients as cheaper brands. But what if big-brand medicines were completely identical to the supermarket versions? Paying for the name and nice box! You can save up to 70% or more on IDENTICAL drugs by buying them in a different packet. In some cases 'own-brand' products of leading pharmacies Boots and Lloyds cost MORE than identical branded medicines bought elsewhere. Shoppers can also save up to 68% on drugs with the same 'active ingredient', by switching from a branded medicine to a generic equivalent. To find identical meds you need to find the 'PL number' – a unique licence number given exclusively to a particular drug made by a particular manufacturer (eg, PL 12063/0104 is a cold and flu remedy). The medicine is sometimes put in different packaging, but if the PL numbers match, it's the SAME drug. Examples (price may vary slightly from original source article) below: Identical cold and flu capsules pastilles from Wilko (left) and Benylin Wilko Max Strength Cold and Flu capsules (16 pack) £1 Benylin Cold and Flu Max Strength (16 pack) £3.09 at Lloyds Identical max strength sinus relief medicine from Wilko (left) and Sudafed Wilko Max Strength Sinus Relief (16 capsules) £1 Sudafed Congestion and Headache Relief (16 capsules) £3.60 at Sainsbury’s. Even if there's not an identical medicine that's cheaper, it's often possible to save by swapping branded products for a generic – unbranded or own-brand – equivalent. We will add a few more overtime, but there is money to be saved here!

The Met Office have just confirmed it's the wettest February on record! Latest rainfall data (up to 9am 29th Feb) reveals that FebruaLatest rainfall data (up to 9am 29th Feb) reveals that February 2020 is now the wetttest February on record A UK average of 202.1mm has fallen, beating February 1990 where 193.4mm fell.

We can only says this once in every four years so, Happy Leap Day!

Organ donation law in England is changing. What is changing? From 20 May 2020, organ donation in England will move to an 'opt out' system. You may also hear it referred to as 'Max and Keira's Law'. This means that all adults in England will be considered to have agreed to be an organ donor when they die unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the excluded groups. You still have a choice if you want to be an organ donor or not when you die. Get the facts about organ donation to help you decide. Why is the law changing? The law is being changed to help save and improve more lives. Every day across the UK, someone dies waiting for a transplant What do I have to do? NHS are asking everyone to: Record your organ donation decision on the NHS Organ Donor Register Tell your family and friends what you have decided If you would like to speak to somebody about your choices, please call the dedicated line: 0300 303 2094 When is the law changing? The opt out system in England will come into effect from 20 May 2020. The law around organ donation in England will remain ‘opt in’ until this time. Who will the changes affect? These changes will affect all adults in England unless they have recorded a decision not to donate or are in one of the following excluded groups: Those under the age of 18 People who lack the mental capacity to understand the new arrangements and take the necessary action Visitors to England, and those not living here voluntarily People who have lived in England for less than 12 months before their death. Download the factsheet The factsheet explains how the law around organ donation in England is changing, what you need to do, and the choices you can make. organ-donation-law-in-england-factsheet.pdf Get the 'easy read' document english-organ-donation-law-is-changing-easy-read.pdf

An emergency closure has been put in place for resurfacing works to start along Hinton Road, Hereford, following the recent flooding. It will be a daily closure, between 9am - 5pm, starting today until (and including) Saturday, 29 February 2020.

Sandy's Food Bar - Wickes Hereford wrote on their Facebook page that unfortunately they will close for the last time this Saturday.

Dunelm Hereford have been in touch with us this morning and would like to help their customers who have recently been impacted by the floods within their area and are kindly offering '15% OFF' as a good will gesture. Anyone that has been affected regardless of where you live can claim their discount at any of the branches listed below. All you need is proof of address/photo to present at the till. (does not apply to Dunelm.com excludes Gift Cards and Pausa- Max spend £1000) Effective in Hereford | Worcester | Pontypridd | Carmarthen from 22/02/20 - 18/04/20 - #HerefordVoice

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