Critical workers include those working in health and social care and in other sectors which are essential to provide basic public services, as defined on the GOV.UK website
Schools, childcare and free school meals
Many schools and early years settings offered childcare support to vulnerable children and the children of key workers from the start of the coronavirus outbreak until the end of the summer term. Until schools re-open in September, there will only be additional support for individual students by special arrangement, direct with their school. If this applies to your family, your child's school will be in touch with you. If you have any further queries, please contact the school directly.
Childcare arrangements for early years settings remain the same.
Car parks
Parking charges for residents and visitors were reintroduced on 4 May 2020 for Bath & North East Somerset Council car parks and on-street, paid-for parking. You will need a valid permit if using residents’ parking bays from this date.
NHS staff, health and social care workers, and NHS volunteers are being encouraged to apply, via their employer, for a new Government digital parking permit. The permit allows you to park for free, with no time limits, when undertaking official duties. On-street parking places where the national permit can be used are limited to pay and display bays, limited waiting bays, and permit holder bays and zones.
There are a number of ways you can get help from the council and the government if you are not working and do not get paid while you're off. These include:
- Council Tax Support
- Welfare Support
- Housing Benefit
- Discretionary Housing Payment
- Universal Credit
- Self-employed Income Support
If you can't afford your next monthly Council Tax payment, please contact us
Find the latest Coronavirus health advice on the NHS website. See below for versions of this advice in alternative languages.
Coronavirus guidance from GOV.UK
Stay at home - An easy read guide for people with Coronavirus (COVID-19)
- Staying at home if you think you have Coronavirus (self-isolating)
- Staying at home and away from others (social distancing)
- Staying at home: what you can and cannot do
- How to protect extremely vulnerable people (shielding)
- Guidance on pregnancy and Coronavirus
Mental wellbeing
Mental wellbeing support for adults, parents, carers and young people and children is available on the 1BigDatabase website
Better Health Campaign
Public Health England has launched the 'Better Health' campaign to support people to live healthier lives and reduce their risk of serious illness, including COVID-19.
The campaign encourages people to embrace a healthier lifestyle, supported by a range of evidence-based tools and apps providing advice on how to eat well, be more active and start losing weight.
For more information and to download the free NHS weight loss plan app, visit the NHS website
Stop Smoking - #QuitforCovid
Getting support to quit smoking face to face is not currently possible due to Coronavirus – but there is still support available. For more information visit Today is The Day website.
Local support and a new digital stop smoking app is available through the Specialist Stop Smoking Service – call 0300 247 0050 and ask to speak to a stop smoking advisor.
For further information on health and wellbeing, go to the B&NES Public Health web pages
Pharmacy opening times
Community pharmacy opening times are now updated every day.
The coronavirus pandemic has had a devastating affect on everyone who is facing the grief of having lost a loved one. For those bereaved as a direct result of the virus, every statistic we read on the news represents people who are dearly missed and whose family and friends are having to come to terms with a world without them. For those who have lost loved ones from other causes, you too are having to deal with increased trauma created by social distancing measures and being cut off from some of your usual support network. The following sources of support can provide help and advice.
What to do when someone dies
- Government guidance
- B&NES Council – Registering a Death
- B&NES Council – Useful Links about Death
- NHS Bereavement Support and Advice
- Royal United Hospital (RUH) Bereavement Office
Emotional support
- At a Loss
- Wiltshire and Bath CRUSE
- Bereavement Trust Helpline 6pm to 10pm, 7 days a week 0800 435 455
- The Good Grief Trust
- Focus Counselling Bath
- Dorothy House Bereavement Support and Advice
- Survivors of Bereavement By Suicide (SOBS)
Support for children and young people
- Child Bereavement UK (Helpline 9am to 5pm weekdays)
- Childhood Bereavement Network - COVID-19
- Grief Encounter Helpline 9am to 9pm weekdays 0808 802 0111 and online chat service
- Hope Again
- Winston’s Wish Helpline 0808 8020021
The Government have asked people to stay at home as much as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic to keep people safe from the virus, BUT if you feel unsafe at home, you CAN leave your home and get help.
If you feel unsafe at home, call the National 24/7 Helpline on 0808 2000 247
Domestic abuse services are still available to help you in Bath & North East Somerset.
Afraid of someone in your home?
If you are in immediate danger, call 999
In a non-emergency you, can contact national support organisations:
Afraid of an ex-partner or family member?
Support is available from the the following organisations:
Afraid for someone else?
You don't need to be experiencing domestic abuse to get advice. If you are afraid for someone else, you can still talk to national and local domestic abuse services.
You can also download a guide for people who think their friend, relative, neighbour or colleague may be in an abusive relationship
There has been a large increase in the amount of fraud during the current Coronavirus outbreak.
Fraudsters are trying to exploit new weaknesses, cyber attacks are using COVID-19 emails to lure people into clicking links or opening attachments, which then download malicious software. Emails pretending to be from Government Departments or councils are also attempting to obtain personal data including bank account details, for example, parents with children entitled to free school meals are being asked to provide bank account details.
We will NOT generally ask you for personal information over the phone. However, based on the current circumstances, alternative methods of collecting information may be required. If you are asked to provide any information, and you are not sure about the identity of the person, then please ring back using numbers on our website
Find out more information on identifying and dealing with scams
During this difficult time, we want to make sure that our residents look out for one another to help everyone to stay safe and healthy. There are a variety of ways you can do this.
Health and wellbeing
How to stop the spread of coronavirus
How to stop the spread of coronavirus (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu.)
COVID-19: ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu).
Social distancing
Social distancing (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Polish, Punjabi, Slovak, Urdu, Welsh and Somali.)
Face coverings
When to wear one, exemptions, and how to make one (translated into Arabic, Bangla (Bengali), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi (Shahmuki), and Urdu)
Being in contact with someone who has coronavirus
Households with possible or confirmed coronavirus, and those who are at an increased risk
Households with possible or confirmed coronavirus and households with grandparents, parents and children living together where someone is at increased risk, or has possible or confirmed coronavirus (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, and Urdu)
Shielding
Shielding and protecting extremely vulnerable people from COVID-19 (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Bulgarian, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Hindi, Nepali, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu)
Mental health and wellbeing
How to look after your mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19 (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu)
Coping strategies
Coping strategies for anxious times from Avon & Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust (in Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Mandarin, Pashto, Polish, Romanian, Somali, Sorani, Tigrinya, Turkish and Urdu)
NHS COVID-19 app
How the NHS COVID-19 app works (translated into Arabic, Bengali , Chinese , Gujarati, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian , Somali, Turkish , Urdu and Welsh . Video explainers can be found in Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Gujarati, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Turkish, Urdu and Welsh)
Testing, treatment and keeping safe
Coronavirus testing and treatment information in different languages
Keeping safe, testing and support (translated into over 20 different languages - produced by Devon County Council and Multilingual Devon Community Interest Company)
Vaccines
The following information is translated into: Albanian, Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, Farsi, Gujarati, Hindi, Kurdish, Nepali, Punjabi, Polish, Romanian, Somali, Spanish, Tagalog, Turkish and Urdu. Open the relevant link to see the translation options.
COVID-19 vaccination guide for older adults
What to expect after vaccination
Why you are being asked to wait
Women of childbearing age, currently pregnant or breastfeeding
COVID-19 vaccine information videos from the NHSexplain how the vaccine is given and give clear evidence that the vaccines work and are safe. Available in Arabic, Bengali, Gujarati, Igbo, Nepali, Polish, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali, Spanish, Swahili, Turkish, Urdu and Yoruba.
How to stop the spread of coronavirus explains what you can do to help reduce the risk of catching coronavirus (COVID-19) and passing it on to others. Available in Arabic, Bengali, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu.
BBC video content in 5 South Asian languages (Urdu, Punjabi, Sylheti, Tamil, Gujarati):
Is the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine safe?
Coping with bereavement
What to do when someone dies during COVID-19 (translated into Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Arabic, Bengali, Chatgaya, Chinese, Farsi, French, German, Gujarati, Italian, Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi, Romanian, Somali, Spanish, Sylheti, Tagalog, Tamil, Turkish and Urdu)
Managing or organising a funeral related to a death of any cause during COVID-19 (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Chinese, French, Gujarati, Polish, Portuguese, Punjabi and Urdu)
Unsafe at home? Domestic abuse help
How to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse during COVID-19 (translated into Arabic, Bengali, Farsi, French, Gujarati, Italian, Mandarin, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Hindi, Punjabi, Somali, Tamil and Urdu)
British Sign Language (BSL)
COVID-19 vaccination: British Sign Language resources on GOV.UK
Easy Read
Easy read guide on how to stop the spread of coronavirus
Easy read style videos for people with a learning disability:
- What is coronavirus?
- What is the COVID-19 vaccine?
- Getting the COVID-19 vaccine
- How you will feel after the COVID-19 vaccine
- What to do after having your COVID-19 vaccine
COVID-19 vaccination: Easy read resources on GOV.UK
Easy read guide on social distancing
Easy read guide on staying at home: what to do if someone you live with has symptoms of coronavirus
Easy read guide on protecting people most likely to get poorly from COVID-19 (shielding)
Easy read guide on looking after your feelings and body during the pandemic
Easy read guides produced by Mencap covering a range of topics such as COVID-19 vaccination, getting a test, self-isolating, shielding, wearing a face covering etc.
Video about COVID-19 vaccination for people with a learning disability or autism from the NHS
Information for people exempt from wearing face coverings
Some people do not have to wear face coverings. You can read guidance explaining why some people do not have to wear face coverings on GOV.UK.
If you cannot wear a face covering there are cards that you can take with you. The cards can be used to let others know why you cannot wear a mask or why they may need to remove theirs.