Coronavirus round-up: Guidance for pregnant women; police front desks to close; new hub to support the most vulnerable; council tax support

A number of new coronavirus related updates have been given by authorities in and around Peterborough today (Monday).
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Here, the Peterborough Telegraph rounds them up:

Maternity

The North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Stamford and Rutland and Hinchingbrooke hospitals, has issued coronavirus advice and guidance for pregnant and postnatal women.

Peterborough City HospitalPeterborough City Hospital
Peterborough City Hospital

Police front desks

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From Thursday until further notice Lincolnshire Police is closing all but two of its police station front desks with the exceptions being South Park in Lincoln and Boston.

The other stations will close after Wednesday but will stay fully operational as it is only the front counter service that is changing.

The force said: “These are difficult decisions in difficult times but made with the upmost concern for the safety of the public and our staff whilst making sure we continue to deliver our service in the most effective way.

“By making these closure we are able to minimise the risk to the public and our staff by reducing communal spaces. We are here for you – closing these stations allows us to fulfil that duty in the most efficient and effective way. You can call us on 101 (or 999 in an emergency) but please do check our website as your query might be answered by the information provided there.

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“Please be reassured that these closures are for public safety and we are still able to provide full provision of all police services across the county.”

Volunteer hub

A new service is bringing together volunteers, support groups and partners across Fenland to help those most at risk during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fenland District Council’s local Covid-19 response hub is coordinating help and support throughout the district to ensure the most vulnerable members of the community can access critical support as soon as they need it.

The hub took more 300 calls in its first three days since its launch last week, with callers being signposted to more than 50 known support services.

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Its dedicated helpline – 01354 654321 – is open 9am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, and 9am to noon on Saturday. Requests for help can also be emailed to: [email protected].

The hub focuses on helping people with food shopping, collecting medicines and other supplies, and friendly phone calls for those feeling lonely by providing details of a local voluntary service which can help them.

It also liaises with other statutory, voluntary and community organisation partners to ensure other needs, including health and social care, are met as quickly as possible.

Council tax

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South Holland District Council has said it is working to offer a new range of support to local residents who are struggling financially due to the impact of coronavirus, with additional schemes to provide crucial council tax relief for vulnerable households.

Through the Government’s new hardship fund, the council is looking to provide a further reduction in council tax for all recipients of the working age local Council Tax Support scheme.

More than 2,000 households in the district currently receive some level of support through the scheme, with this additional relief providing a reduction of up to £150 on top of any existing support received.

This discount will be automatically applied to your council tax bill if you are eligible, and you will receive an updated bill from the council as soon as possible.

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Once this discount has been applied, the council said it will then be exploring ways in which further funds can be used to provide additional support to residents to help ensure that as many people as possible are assisted through this difficult period.

If your circumstances have changed and you think you may be eligible for council tax support visit www.sholland.gov.uk/resident for more information on the scheme and to find out how much of a discount you may be eligible for.

If you are having immediate difficulty paying your council tax bill, get in touch with the council at the earliest opportunity.

Anyone needing help with things like shopping or collecting prescriptions during the current situation, or just looking for someone to have a friendly chat with, can visit www.lincolnshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/requesthelp or call 01522 782 189 to request assistance from a local volunteer.