Herefordshire Council, like other local authorities across the country, is preparing for an increase in the number of deaths as a result of COVID-19. A temporary mortuary has been created and the facility will act as a secure, dignified holding point before a respectful cremation or burial can take place. 

The site at Three Elms is owned by Herefordshire Council and will provide extra capacity to the Wye Valley NHS Trust at Hereford County hospital. The site will not be open to the public and we are working with funeral directors to ensure a safe and respectful process during this difficult time.

Superintendent Sue Thomas, Head of Herefordshire’s emergency response team, said: 

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"Sadly, we know that the number of deaths to coronavirus will rise and we need to be prepared. As part of the government's response, additional mortuary space is being identified in every county. This demonstrates why it remains so important that you reduce your risk of contracting coronavirus and don’t put lives at risk by aiding its spread. Keep washing your hands regularly for 20 seconds, stop unnecessary journeys by staying at home and keep a distance of 2 metres from others if you do need to go out."

Cllr Ange Tyler, Cabinet Member for Housing, Regulatory Services, and Community Safety, said:

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“We are making these arrangements in a sensitive and measured way to let people know that we are thinking ahead, but appreciate this is enormously difficult for all of us to contemplate. We hope we never have to use it. We must all do as much as we possibly can to ensure we prevent the spread of Coronavirus and within our families and throughout the community.”

Herefordshire Council is working closely with funeral directors and faiths across the county to provide them with support and information that they will need to help guide grieving families.

It is crucial that we all observe government guidance. Keep washing your hands regularly, stop unnecessary journeys by staying at home and keep a distance of 2 metres with others if you do need to go out.

Breaking News: Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved to intensive care after condition worsens.

The prime minister was admitted to St Thomas' Hospital in London on Sunday night - 10 days after testing positive for coronavirus - after continuing to display symptoms of COVID-19.

He was initially admitted "as a precaution" but Mr Johnson's health has since deteriorated, Number 10 said.

The prime minister has now asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to deputise for him "where necessary".

A Number 10 spokesman said: "Over the course of this afternoon, the condition of the prime minister has worsened and, on the advice of his medical team, he has been moved to the intensive care unit at the hospital.

"The prime minister has asked Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who is the First Secretary of State, to deputise for him where necessary.

"The prime minister is receiving excellent care, and thanks all NHS staff for their hard work and dedication."

From Hereford Voice:

Boris Johnson has given so much in such as short space of time to make this country a better, safer prosperous place. People of all political hues should be hoping and praying for his swift recovery.

Stay strong Boris! You are one of our best Prime Ministers and your country and family need you sir!

Over £13million in grant funding has been paid to help support local businesses during the Coronavirus outbreak, and a further £2.7million is currently being processed – with a further 320 payments being made today.

Due to the pandemic, businesses are operating through a period of unprecedented economic uncertainty. The Government recently announced a package of business support, and Herefordshire Council has been working to identify local businesses that will be eligible for grant funding.

There is no need for businesses to contact us. We will be in contact with you directly and will work with you throughout this time. We appreciate that emails asking for bank details may be concerning, so we can provide your property reference number if required or we can send you a cheque if you provide the payee name on the business account.Cllr Ellie Chowns, Cabinet Member for Environment, Economy and Skills, said:

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“This is a time of unprecedented difficulty for us all, and the pressure on our local businesses as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic is extremely worrying. It is important that everybody is aware of the support that is on hand, and we are pleased to announce that we have paid over £13million in grant funding to local businesses, and we are processing a further £2.7million.

“Please remember that you do not need to contact the council, as our dedicated staff are working hard, including over weekends, contacting businesses directly to make sure that support gets to those who need it as soon as possible.

“I would like to offer a huge thank you to staff, along with our emergency services, key workers, and volunteers, for all the incredible work you do to help protect others.”

 

A Dalek has been spotted patrolling the streets of a small village and ordering "all humans to self-isolate".

In a video captured by amused residents, the Doctor Who villain passes through the deserted street while ordering people to comply with "the order of the Daleks".
People across the UK have been urged by the government to stay at home and only leave the house for essential needs to help stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Video HERE

A wonderful tribute to the NHS embossed into the Hereford FC pitch.

See the clubs message from their Twitter page below;

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Fantastic work from @benbowen1979 and @Highground1999 on the pitch to show our support for the frontline services. ❤️ #ThankYouNHS

Herefordshire Council to re-open the Hillside Care Centre to support the NHS COVID-19 response

Former rehabilitation unit at Redhill will reopen and will be used to support the NHS through the coronavirus outbreak

A former Hereford rehabilitation centre will reopen to provide additional community services for the NHS and Herefordshire Council to use as part of the COVID-19 emergency response.

The re-opening of the Hillside Care Centre is part of a strategic plan involving the council and other Herefordshire organisations to find suitable premises across the county.  The 22 bed care unit will be made available to health and social care services with immediate effect to support during the coronavirus outbreak.

Councillor Pauline Crockett, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Wellbeing said:

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“It is incredibly important that during this pandemic that we do everything we can to support the health service. 

“We are very fortunate that we are able to offer the Hillside Centre as a facility to support the NHS and social care for patients requiring ongoing healthcare. We will also continue to look at other ways in which we can support our health partners during the COVID-19 response.”

The council will continue to explore redevelopment options for Hillside with a view to creating a high quality care facility that focuses on specialised long term care for older members of the community who are living with aged related conditions, including individuals diagnosed with dementia in the future.

A farmer in Devon has created a huge a tribute to the NHS into a field in support of the healthcare workers on the frontline against COVID-19.

Matthew Alford had the idea at the end of last week after seeing other farmers in the country showing their thanks and decided that Devon needed something to show how grateful we are.

Matthew, from South Molton, said: "I saw a farmer that did something in the midlands and thought Devon should do their bit for what's going on and had a bit of inspiration."

How nice is this!

Virtual Tours: The British Museum.

During this time when many people are staying at home, why not check out these virtual tours. 

We will publish a new virtual tour each day to keep you occupied while learning at the same time.

British Museum Tour Here

London's British Museum covers the history of cultures across the world. You can take a virtual walk through the museum at Google Arts & Culture, or take a look at this interactive timeline dating back to 2,000,000 BC, where you can select various artefacts that are housed in the museum and learn more about them through images, text and audio.

Enjoy and share with your friends and family

I contacted both Jesse Norman and Bill Wiggin regarding closing footpaths that run through farm land during this period.

I had an acknowledgement from Wendy who I imagine is Jesse's PA 

Since then I have heard NOTHING from either Jesse and Bill.

Disgraceful.

Compare and contrast now and Election time.

Have they both gone to ground or is Jesse using this time to write another book?

People have long memories

Coronavirus: James Dyson Confirms His Company Will Make An Initial Order Of 10,000 Ventilators In The U.K.

CoVent: Dyson's ventilator

The race to deliver much-needed ventilators to hospitals fighting coronavirus received welcome news today from British entrepreneur Sir James Dyson. A spokesman for Dyson confirmed to Forbes that an initial order of 10,000 units from the U.K. government has been placed, and work will begin immediately at the historic airforce base RAF Hullavington.

Dyson confirmed in a letter, “Since I received a call from Boris Johnson, we have refocused resources at Dyson, and worked with TTP, The Technology Partnership, to design and build an entirely new ventilator, The CoVent.”

Dyson adds that the new device can be manufactured “quickly, efficiently and at volume.” Adding that it is designed to address the specific clinical needs of COVID-19 patients.

“The race is now on to get it into production,”

Well done Dyson!! #HerefordVoice #Dyson #Herefordshire

Source: Forbes

The government to provide immediate free car parking for NHS & social care staff for the duration of the Coronavirus crisis.

We have received an upsetting message from Home Bargains shop worker Laura Tibbs explaining how people are abusing her and her colleagues following the implementation of social distancing procedures as outlined by the government.

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Hi guys everyone who works in retail at this time is very glad that they can help you through this hard time especially us at home bargains but today has been the worst day i have had in the nearly 5 years i have been there which has reduced me tears and nearly made me walk out of my job. I understand all the measures being put into place in shops at the moment are frustrating... certain items limited only one member from each household allowed to enter the shops BUT please remember these are government rules which are currently being reinforced by the police who were up home bargains this morning. Today i have been called names shouted out and sworn at alot of the morning because people couldnt come in with family members. I do not have a choice to be in that building i have to come to work to make sure that we can provide you guys with everything you need in these hard times it isnt fair on me or any other staff to be verbally abused by anyone because of rules that we did not make. Please as annoying as the rules are remember that it isnt our fault because after today i dont want to go back to my job i love my job but i can not take another day like that and coming home and sobbing my heart out its just not fair. I hope you all stay safe

 Come on guys' we desperately need these key workers!

Please be patient and say 'Thank You' to these lovely people when you are out shopping. 

Thank you Laura and to your colleagues, as difficult as this is for you all the majority of the country are behind 100%.❤️
#HerefordVoice #BeKind

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson tests positive for COVID-19.

The prime minster tweeted a video message confirming he had COVID-19, adding: "Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.

"I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the government's response via video-conference as we fight this virus.

"Together we will beat this. #StayHomeSaveLives."
#HerefordVoice

Rishi Sunak announces that the government will pay self-employed people a grant of 80% of their average wage based upon average earnings over the past 3 years, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month. This is available for the next 3 months and will be reviewed and possibly extended if required.

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.

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? 

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.

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.