27 Apr 2021
Rapid COVID-19 testing comes to Houghton Regis
People in Houghton Regis can get a rapid COVID-19 test from Thursday 29 April at a new mobile test and collect service from Central Bedfordshire Council.
The new service will provide testing kits and encourage residents to take a test on-site first to ensure people are confident to use them at home. Testing is free and there is no need to book an appointment, people can just turn up.
The new mobile test and collect minibus will be at Parkside Day Centre on Parkside Drive from Thursday 29 April until Friday 7 May (This is where the burger van parks up in the evenings). The mobile service will then move to another location in Houghton Regis.
Staff will be on hand to help people self-test, demonstrate how to do the tests at home and give away home testing kits. There will be help on hand for those who might need it.
With around one in three people who have coronavirus showing no symptoms, regular testing is vital to help identify more people who have COVID-19 as early as possible and help to reduce the spread of the virus.
You are recommended to get tested twice a week, 3 to 4 days apart. The testing is free, easy and quick.
Local residents can collect up to 2 packs of 7 tests from the new mobile testing centre in Houghton Regis. The service is open to anyone living or working in or visiting Houghton Regis. People are being asked to bring a smartphone to register and be sent their results. There is no need to make an appointment – just turn up.
Parkside Day Centre on Parkside Drive open from 11am to 7pm:
Thursday 29 April
Friday 30 April
Tuesday 4 May
Thursday 6 May
Friday 7 May
... or Order Online
you can order a pack of 7 tests for home delivery online via UK government website. If you do tests at home, you'll need to report your results online or on the phone. Your pack will include details of how to do this and what to do next.
... or collect a rapid tests pack from these local pharmacists:
Lloyds Pharmacy Ltd - 17-18 Bedford Square, Houghton Regis
Houghton Regis Medical Centre, Peel Street, Houghton Regis
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6 Apr 2021
Enter your postcode or interact with the map to see the number of deaths in an area. The size of the circle represents the number of deaths.
Bedfordshire Police have published an open letter to anyone looking to attend large gatherings such as parties, protests or funerals which breach the existing regulations, warning that officers will take enforcement action to disperse large groups of people.
Twice Weekly Covid-19 testing available from 19 April
- Everyone in England, including those without symptoms, will be able to take a free rapid coronavirus (COVID-19) test twice a week
Alongside vaccine rollout, regular testing is at the heart of plans to reopen society and the economy, helping to suppress and control the spread of variants
Updates will be made to the NHS COVID-19 app in England to coincide with the universal testing offer
Everyone in England will be able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing from 9 April, the government has announced.
In a significant step forward, which paves the way for businesses and society reopening, anyone will be able to access free, rapid lateral flow tests (LFDs) for themselves and their families to use twice a week, in line with clinical guidance.
Rapid testing has so far been available to those most at risk and people who need to leave home for work, including frontline NHS workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families. Now rapid testing will be offered to everyone, with people encouraged to take regular tests to help prevent outbreaks and reclaim a more normal way of life.
One in 3 people with COVID-19 do not experience any symptoms and may be spreading the virus unwittingly. Rapid testing detects cases quickly, meaning positive cases can isolate immediately. Since rapid testing was introduced, over 120,000 positive cases that would not have been found otherwise have already been identified by LFDs. By making rapid tests available to everyone, more cases will be detected, breaking chains of transmission and saving lives.
Alongside the rollout of the vaccine, regular testing is going to be an essential part of the easing of restrictions as it will help us quickly suppress the spread of variants. Through new testing technology, positive cases of variants of concern are being detected faster than ever before. More people getting a test will increase our ability to identify and control variants.
The NHS COVID-19 app has been breaking chains of transmission to protect users and their communities since its launch in September, with over 22 million people downloading the app to date. Updates will be made to the NHS COVID-19 app in England to coincide with the offer of rapid testing for everyone.
In March, two British companies secured contracts with the government to supply rapid lateral flow tests, which will help prevent the virus from spreading and stop outbreaks from taking hold as restrictions are carefully lifted. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has agreed on contracts with Omega Diagnostics, headquartered in Alva in Scotland, and Global Access Diagnostics, based in Thurleigh to provide manufacturing capacity for up to 200 million COVID-19 lateral flow antigen tests, which detect positive cases quickly – in under 30 minutes – meaning positive cases can isolate immediately, breaking chains of transmission.
Around one in three people who have coronavirus do not have symptoms, so to help stop them from unknowingly passing it on, regular rapid testing is essential to find more positive cases. Lateral flow tests are helping children go back to school, keeping healthcare staff safe and making sure businesses can reopen. Including symptomatic and asymptomatic testing programmes, today the government is on track to surpass 100 million tests carried out in the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said, “Massive efforts have been made by the British public to stop the spread of the virus.
“As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted.
“That’s why we’re now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England – helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy.”
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock said, “Around 1 in 3 people who have COVID-19 show no symptoms, and as we reopen society and resume parts of life we have all dearly missed, regular rapid testing is going to be fundamental in helping us quickly spot positive cases and squash any outbreaks.
“The vaccine programme has been a shot in the arm for the whole country, but reclaiming our lost freedoms and getting back to normal hinges on us all getting tested regularly.
“The British public have shown over the last year that they quickly adapt and always do what it is right in the interest of public health, and I know they will do their bit by getting tested regularly in the months ahead.”
Getting a rapid test
Getting a rapid test is quick and convenient. Over 100,000 businesses in England have registered their interest to provide rapid tests to their employees, and the offer of free testing is being expanded to companies with over 10 workers where on-site testing is impossible. The expanded regular testing offer for people without symptoms will be delivered through:
- a home ordering service, which allows people to order lateral flow tests online to be delivered to their home
- workplace testing programmes, on-site or at home
- community testing, offered by all local authorities
- collection at a local PCR test site during specific test collection time windows
- testing on-site at schools and colleges
- A new ‘Pharmacy Collect’ service is also launching which will provide an additional route to regular testing. People aged over 18 without symptoms will be able to visit a participating local pharmacy and collect a box of 7 rapid tests to use twice a week at home.
If testing at home, individuals will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if positive and order a confirmatory PCR test.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 should book a test online or by calling 119.
Dr Susan Hopkins, COVID-19 Strategic Response Director at PHE and Chief Medical Adviser to NHS Test and Trace, said:
Rapid testing helps us find COVID-19 cases that we wouldn’t otherwise know about, helping to break chains of transmission. These tests are effective in detecting people that are infectious and therefore most likely to transmit the infection to others. They are another tool we now have to help maintain lower infection rates.
I encourage everyone to take up the offer of these free rapid tests – they are quick and easy to carry out in your own home.
Recent analysis from NHS Test and Trace shows that for every 1,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there is less than 1 false-positive result. LFDs detect cases with high levels of virus and are very effective in finding people who don’t have symptoms but are very likely to transmit the disease.
NHS COVID-19 app updates
To coincide with the offer of free rapid testing for everyone, there will be updates to the NHS COVID-19 app in England from 8 April:
Everyone in a group must check-in
In line with new regulations, when a group enters a hospitality venue, every individual must check either by scanning the official NHS QR code poster with the NHS COVID-19 app or by providing their contact details. Previously, only the lead member of the group needed to provide contact details to check-in.
Venue history sharing
If an app user tests positive, they will be asked to share their venue history in a privacy-protecting way via the app. This will allow venue alerts to be generated more quickly, and improve the ability to identify where outbreaks are occurring and take steps to prevent the virus from spreading.
Additional venue alerts
If a person has been at a venue on the same day as several other people who have since tested positive for COVID-19, they may receive an alert advising them to book a test immediately, whether they are showing symptoms or not. This is to support finding asymptomatic cases who may have caught the virus but are not displaying symptoms.
New QR code posters
There will be new posters displaying QR codes for hospitality venues in England. Work has taken place with the industry to make the posters clearer and easier to use. All venues in England in the scope of the regulations are legally required to display an official NHS QR code poster.
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17 Feb 2021
Pandemic Means Councillors Don't Have an Urgent Need For New Offices
Houghton Regis Town Councillors met virtually on the Monday, 15th February, to keep alive their 'New Office Sub-Committee'. But now councillors have gotten used to having their meetings online, and with the pandemic still in full swing, there seemed to be no mood to take any urgent action.
A report to the committee explained, “As Covid restrictions have continued, to date no member of staff has applied for flexible working. This may change as and when office working can resume. General feedback from staff appraisals showed support for a hybrid of office / home working. Legislation enables a council to meet remotely until 7th May 2021. At the present time, the government have indicated that they are not considering extending this. Due to the recent works on the offices, in particular the replacement floor, it is considered that the current offices are suitable to continue to use in the short term at least. ”
3 -2-2021
Deaths in Houghton Regis and Dunstable Due to COVID-19
Enter your postcode or interact with the map to see the number of deaths in an area. The size of the circle represents the number of deaths.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the vast majority of neighbourhoods in England and Wales. This interactive map allows you to see the number of deaths registered in the period March to December 2020, where COVID-19 was the underlying (main) cause on the death certificate.
Deaths over all monthsHoughton Regis South 11Houghton Regis North 7Dunstable Central 20 Dunstable West 8 Dunstable East 8Dunstable South 3Dunstable Manshead 10Lewsey North 16Lewsey South 14
Notes:- Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) are a small area statistical geography covering England and Wales. Each area has a similarly sized population (around 8,000 people on average) that remains stable over time.
- MSOAs are not equivalent to entire towns or cities (they are much smaller). In total, there are 7,201 MSOAs across England and Wales.
- Locally adopted MSOA names are provided by House of Commons Library. While these names are not officially supported for National Statistics, they are provided here to help local users.
- Points on the map are placed at the centre of the local area they represent and do not show the actual location of deaths.
- To protect confidentiality, a small number of deaths have been reallocated between neighbouring areas. Given the method used for this, figures for some areas may be different to previously published data.
- Figures are for deaths registered rather than deaths occurring in each month.
- Figures exclude death of non-residents and are based on August 2020 boundaries.
- Deaths "due to COVID-19" include only deaths where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death.
- Figures are provisional.
Source: Office for National Statistics
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has spread across the vast majority of neighbourhoods in England and Wales. This interactive map allows you to see the number of deaths registered in the period March to December 2020, where COVID-19 was the underlying (main) cause on the death certificate.
Houghton Regis South 11
Houghton Regis North 7
Dunstable Central 20
Dunstable West 8
Dunstable East 8
Dunstable South 3
Dunstable Manshead 10
Lewsey North 16
Lewsey South 14
Notes:
- Middle Layer Super Output Areas (MSOAs) are a small area statistical geography covering England and Wales. Each area has a similarly sized population (around 8,000 people on average) that remains stable over time.
- MSOAs are not equivalent to entire towns or cities (they are much smaller). In total, there are 7,201 MSOAs across England and Wales.
- Locally adopted MSOA names are provided by House of Commons Library. While these names are not officially supported for National Statistics, they are provided here to help local users.
- Points on the map are placed at the centre of the local area they represent and do not show the actual location of deaths.
- To protect confidentiality, a small number of deaths have been reallocated between neighbouring areas. Given the method used for this, figures for some areas may be different to previously published data.
- Figures are for deaths registered rather than deaths occurring in each month.
- Figures exclude death of non-residents and are based on August 2020 boundaries.
- Deaths "due to COVID-19" include only deaths where COVID-19 was the underlying cause of death.
- Figures are provisional.
Source: Office for National Statistics
28-1-2021
COUNCILLOR WHO DISMISSED FLIGHT PATH CONCERNS AS 'NIMBYISM' KNEW OF PLANS A YEAR BEFORE OTHER COUNCILLORS WERE TOLD
by Cllr Adam Zerny, Leader of the Independent Councillor Group at Central Bedfordshire Council
- Leighton Buzzard councillor who called Potton residents NIMBYs knew about flight paths consultation a year before other councillors.
- Airport insists telling two councillors amounts to informing the Council.
- Flight paths consultation ends in just eight days - Have your say before it's too late!
News of the proposed new Luton flight paths came out of the blue last September. The changes would see big increases in the volume of low-flying flights heading over Potton, Biggleswade, Arlesey, Stotfold, Wrestlingworth and many other towns and villages in Central Beds [1].
One of the key issues raised by residents and councillors alike when Luton Airport's consultation began in November 2020 was that there had seemingly been no prior notification of changes to flight paths. The first we knew was when the consultation on final options appeared online. What's more, for many communities, all options in the consultation see flights going straight overhead.
However, it has since come to light that TWO Central Bedfordshire councillors have known about the planned changes since 2019!
In November last year, a motion was put to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) by Independent, Adam Zerny, seeking agreement from councillors that the Council strongly oppose the controversial flight paths consultation being conducted by Luton Airport. The motion was passed, but not everyone agreed. Several councillors abstained including Cllr Bowater (Conservative, Leighton Buzzard). Cllr Berry (Conservative, Leighton Buzzard) even voted against it! [2].
Indeed Cllr Berry even went to the trouble of arguing against the motion; he dismissed opposition to increased flights as "WIMPA. Why In My Potton Area. Quite simply it's a NIMBY situation.”Even though councillors are not usually permitted ad hoc presentations, Cllr Berry spoke with a map of the flight routes behind him. He said "There is no direct effect on our people which isn't there already", which may come as news to residents of Potton, Gamlingay, Wrestlingworth, Arlesey and Stotfold who will see a significant increase in air traffic volume if the proposals go ahead. To view the meeting webcast see [3] in the appendix.
After the Council meeting, we contacted Luton Airport with a couple of questions. We asked whether it was true that one of the easterly flight paths options appeared to miss Leighton Buzzard completely with routes going right around the town, an option which was seemingly unavailable in other areas. Luton Airport confirmed this was the case [4]. So much for Cllr Berry branding Potton residents as NIMBYs!
Still unaware of the councillors' involvement, we asked Luton Airport to send me the minutes of any meetings which had taken place with councillors, prior to the announcement of the public consultation.The airport forwarded the documents and while scanning through them, two familiar names could be seen on the committee list.
Slightly taken aback, we then asked Luton Airport to confirm it had ever consulted with CBC or any of its councillors earlier in the process.
It said it had been in touch with councillors as early as March 2019 and CBC councillors had been shown the routes in December 2019 at a Noise & Track Sub Committee (NSTC) of the Luton Airport Consultative committee (LLACC). It seemed Cllr Berry attended the meeting and according to Luton Airport both Cllr Berry and Cllr Bowater would have received a document with plans for the project showing flights heading right over Potton, Biggleswade and Arlesey.
Luton Airport says there was also a public engagement day in February 2020 to provide an update on the process of choosing new flight paths. It confirms Cllr Bowater and Berry both accepted an invite.It seems that by July 2020, Cllr Berry had stood down from LLACC and instead Cllr Perry (Conservative, Caddington) and Cllr Bowater were CBC's representatives. Neither attended the last documented meeting [5] in July 2020 although Luton Airport says committee members would always be sent the minutes.
The minutes of these meetings are online and it can be seen Cllrs Berry and Bowater have been recorded as members of the committee as far back as 2015 [5].
We thought it might be worth checking with CBC whether it knew anything about this. CBC told us it logs all councillors who sit on external bodies on this web page. The LLACC members are listed as Cllr Bowater and Cllr Perry.
And yet I cannot recall any occasion during the years prior to the public consultation where Cllrs Bowater, Berry or Perry ever made CBC councillors aware of anything about these proposed flight paths changes. Senior Council officers say CBC has not been contacted by the airport for it’s contribution to any discussion of new flight paths.
It seems very odd that each of the councillors who had served on these committees represented the south of Central Beds and not affected areas elsewhere.
We contacted Cllrs Berry and Bowater to ask if they told other councillors, council officers or committees about these flight path changes but neither responded to my enquiries.
The public consultation ends on 5th February so there is just one week to go. Have your say!To read more about the process click here.
To learn how you can oppose it visit this website created by campaign group CALF who are opposing the proposals and click on Objections.
Read about the consultation here..Appendix [1] Motion Proposed by Councillor Zerny"This Council strongly opposes the current flight path proposals put forward by Luton Airport and NATS which affect most residents within Central Bedfordshire. It is completely inappropriate that those in the most affected areas are presented only with options resulting in large numbers of flights directly overhead. Furthermore, in light of this lack of options and the significant changes wrought on international travel by COVID, this Council believes the only appropriate course of action would be for Luton Airport to recommence the whole process, considering all options and this time include affected residents and local authorities right from the start. This Council asks the Portfolio Holder for Community Services and the Assistant Director for Community Services to write to Luton Airport and NATS requesting this course of action"
[2] Councillors for the motion: Baker (Aspley & Woburn), Blair (Ampthill), Bond (Biggleswade), Brown (Shefford), (Chatterley (Dunstable), Clark (Cranfield), S.Collins (Toddington), Crawley (Dunstable), Dalgarno (Arlesey), Dixon (Stotfold), Duckett (Ampthill), Farrell (Houghton Hall), Foster (Biggleswade), Goodchild (Houghton Hall), Gomm (Flitwick), Graham (Silsoe), Hamill (Tithe Farm), Hares (Houghton Conquest), Harris (Stotfold), Harvey (Linslade), Hegley (Dunstable), Jamieson (Westoning), Liddiard (Shefford), Mackey (Flitwick), Maudlin (Sandy), Sanders (Dunstable), Saunders (Stotfold), Shelvey (Arlesey), Shingler (Barton), Smith (Ampthill), Snelling (Linslade), Spurr (Leighton Buzzard), Walsh (Toddington), Watkins (Biggleswade(, Wenham (Arlesey), Whitaker (Biggleswade), Wye (Potton), Zerny (Potton)
Councillors against the motion: Berry (Leighton Buzzard)
Councillors abstaining: Bowater (Leighton Buzzard), K.Collins (Caddington), Dodwell (Leighton Buzzard), Ferguson (Leighton Buzzard), Firth (Northill), Ghent (Dunstable), Matthews (Cranfield), McVicar (Dunstable), Morris (Cranfield), Perham (Linslade), Perry (Caddington), Spicer (Eaton Bray), Tamara (Dunstable), Wallace (Leighton Buzzard), Versallion (Heath & Reach), Young (Dunstable)
[3] Webcast can be seen on here from 2.04.38. Cllr Berry can be heard from 2.13.18.
[4] Luton Airport added that 'Under a previous airspace change implemented in May 2006, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) placed a condition on LLA arrivals which is that arriving traffic for Runway 07 (formerly Runway 08, designation changed in May 2020 due to magnetic variation) should not be routinely vectored over the town of Leighton Buzzard, unless tactically unavoidable. We infer that the intent of this CAA condition is to minimise overflight of the town (whether via a published route, or vectoring), unless tactically unavoidable. See CAA Airspace Policy, Post Implementation Review letter dated 31 Jan 2008, ref 8AP/066/02/06/02 p.3 para 2.2.3 et seq.'
- Leighton Buzzard councillor who called Potton residents NIMBYs knew about flight paths consultation a year before other councillors.
- Airport insists telling two councillors amounts to informing the Council.
- Flight paths consultation ends in just eight days - Have your say before it's too late!
In November last year, a motion was put to Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) by Independent, Adam Zerny, seeking agreement from councillors that the Council strongly oppose the controversial flight paths consultation being conducted by Luton Airport. The motion was passed, but not everyone agreed. Several councillors abstained including Cllr Bowater (Conservative, Leighton Buzzard). Cllr Berry (Conservative, Leighton Buzzard) even voted against it! [2].
Additional Notes
These Descent Paths Over Toddington, north of Houghton Regis and Stanbridge and Leighton Linslade taken from video at Consultation documents would be used about 30% of the time, depending on the direction of the wind.
27-1-2021
CBC to Send COVID-19 Stewards to Houghton Hall Park
Central Bedfordshire Council has employed 16 COVID-19 stewards to support businesses and the public in increasing understanding of COVID-19 public health measures, such as social distancing, wearing face coverings in appropriate settings and hand washing.
The stewards are undertaking patrols across Central Bedfordshire to engage, explain and encourage best practices and promote the national guidance around COVID-19. The stewards have no enforcement powers, but they will gather intelligence and information on potential COVID-19 regulation breaches and feedback to the relevant officers in the Council to support further investigation and possible enforcement. They will also report incidents to Bedfordshire Police.
At the Houghton Regis Partnership Committee on Tuesday 26 January, CBC Councillor for Tithe Farm, Patrick Hamill, said he had noticed large numbers of people taking their exercise in the Park and was concerned that they were not social distancing enough. The officer representing CBC said that she hoped the stewards would visit the park and explain to people the reasons for social distancing.
The new stewards, who are working from 9am to 9pm seven days a week, will be undertaking visits in Biggleswade, Sandy, Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Ampthill, Flitwick, Shefford and Houghton Regis.
The stewards will be wearing video cameras on their bodies and high visibility jackets to identify them as Council COVID-19 stewards.
Officers from CBC's public protection and community safety teams will also be continuing to undertake regular patrols and visits to businesses across the whole of Central Bedfordshire, to ensure everyone is adhering to government guidelines and offering advice and support where needed.
The stewards are being provided through a contract with CYS Security Ltd and have been hired initially for 12 weeks, starting from 11 January 2021.
Anyone who has concerns about businesses not complying with the measures set out, should email trading.standards@centralbedfordshire.gov.uk with the subject ‘COVID Business Compliance’. Reports will then be investigated by the appropriately delegated officers.
21-1-2021
Leighton Buzzard Party Organisers Breached COVID Regulations — Fined £10,000
- The public are being warned of the consequences of attending large gatherings during lockdown after the organiser of a New Year’s Eve party attended by dozens of people was issued with a £10,000 fine.
Bedfordshire Police have published an open letter to anyone looking to attend large gatherings such as parties, protests or funerals which breach the existing regulations, warning that officers will take enforcement action to disperse large groups of people.
The fresh call comes after the action was taken against the organiser of a party at a location near Leighton Buzzard.
On 31 December officers called to the site had found a marquee with a number of tables and chairs, a small dance floor and four speakers. The organiser was spoken to and given words of advice.
When officers returned later they found around 50 people in attendance.
Police were able to bring the event to a close and disperse the attendees. After reviewing the evidence, officers have now issued a £10,000 fine to the main organiser for breaching Covid-19 regulations.
Chief Superintendent John Murphy, who is leading Bedfordshire Police’s response to the coronavirus, said, “Throughout the pandemic, we have been working with our partners to urge and remind members of the public to adhere to the government guidance so we can all play our part in stopping the spread of the virus, so it is astonishing to see people brazenly and blatantly ignoring these rules.
“This party was not only a huge breach, but also showed a total lack of respect to those people who haven’t been able to attend the funeral of a loved one, or spend Christmas and New Year with their friends and family, which is why we have not taken this lightly and have taken firm action.
“We understand the past 10 months have been difficult for everyone and we are grateful to those who have been following the guidelines, but the pressure on the NHS is still immense and we all need to everything we can to keep ourselves and others safe.”
The open letter from Assistant Chief Constable Sharn Basra outlines the local picture in the county and why it is so important that people continue to stick to the rules.
“There are restrictions on travel and gatherings, but the single most important action we can take is to stay at home,” ACC Basra said in the letter.
“Bedfordshire Police strongly advises people not to attend any gathering, for the protection of yourselves and others. We are still in the middle of a global pandemic.”
There are exemptions that apply to gatherings, for example those that are necessary for the purposes of work, providing emergency assistance or escaping the risk of harm, such as those fleeing domestic abuse.
Bedfordshire Police have issued 103 fixed penalty notices over Covid-19 regulation breaches over the past week, with 399 incidents having been reported to the force over the same timeframe.
As well as the New Year’s Eve party fine, the force's investigation into a funeral in Dunstable in October attended by a significant number of people is also ongoing, with a case file having been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Bedfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner Kathryn Holloway said, “While I completely understand how heart-breaking it must be not to be able to attend a funeral or a wedding and a large wake or reception afterwards, I do not accept that a single member of the public does not understand that this is not possible at a time when the NHS is seeing more beds occupied by patients with a single illness than at any time in its history – 42 per cent - and when local infection rates remain stubbornly high.
“Bedfordshire Police has invested significant effort in making sure that leaders in all places of worship, funeral directors, crematoria and venues which are available for the public to rent are aware that they will also personally be held responsible and made subject to fines, as well as those who make a booking with them if they collude in the law being broken.
“These laws were not made on a whim but to prevent deaths and our hospitals being overwhelmed. There are no exceptions."
Cllr Ian Dalgarno, Executive Member for Community Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, added: “People flouting the current national restrictions in place are showing disregard for the health of the public and, with the support of the police, we will enforce fines to those who do not comply.
“We need everyone to maintain social distancing and restrict contact more than ever as COVID-19 cases continue to rise in the local area. We will continue to work with the police to enforce the local rules, and our new Covid-19 stewards will be working directly with the public and businesses to ensure that breaches are reported and acted on.”
- For more information on the current Covid-19 guidelines and what you can and cannot do under the national lockdown, you can visit https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
- Anyone wishing to report a breach of Covid-19 guidelines can do so via the online reporting tool.
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24-12-2020
Residents urged to follow restrictions to stop Covid-19 spread over the Christmas Period
- Local Authorities, Bedfordshire Police and health bosses in Bedfordshire and Luton have joined up to urge residents to ‘play their part’ and abide by Tier 4 restrictions over the Christmas period.
This follows a steep rise in new Covid-19 cases and hospital admissions in the area.
Tier 4 restrictions mean that residents in Bedfordshire and Luton must stay at home, apart from limited exceptions. Within Tier 4 people cannot meet indoors with people from other households, including over the Christmas and New Year period, unless they are part of a support bubble - you cannot form a Christmas bubble in Tier 4. Outdoors, people can only meet one person from another household in a public space.
Dr Nicola Smith, Clinical Chair for NHS Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes Clinical Commissioning Groups said, “The increase in infections is a significant cause for concern locally. We’re already seeing more patients that need urgent care as a result of Covid-19. By acting now and following the guidance, you can help reduce the spread of the virus and help keep Covid-19 hospital admissions down.”
She added:, “We know that residents have made many significant sacrifices in recent times and to have restrictions in force over the Christmas period is extremely difficult for many families, but this is the best way to protect your friends, family and loved ones.”
Chief Superintendent John Murphy said, "We know how difficult and upsetting it must be for people who have been making plans to see loved ones this Christmas, particularly after all the sacrifices they have already made this year. Many of our officers and staff also live in Bedfordshire so personally share that disappointment, but we must remember this is a public health emergency and the rules have been put in place to keep us all safe.
“The number of cases across Bedfordshire continues to rise at a concerning rate and the pressure on our local hospitals and NHS is stark. So it is more important than ever for people to follow the guidance, stay home and ultimately help save lives. We really don’t want to have to fine people for trying to see loved ones at this special time of year, which is why we are asking everyone to once again play their part – which means delaying your celebrations until it is safe or thinking of alternative ways of connecting with family and friends. The only way we will beat this deadly virus is by a collective effort to stop the spread.”
Cllr James Jamieson, the outgoing Leader of Central Bedfordshire Council said, “Coronavirus cases have been increasing rapidly in our area over recent weeks and we are also seeing an increasing number of people needing hospital treatment due to covid.
"Our hospitals and other NHS and care services, are always under greater pressure in the winter than at other times of the year. Everyone must play their part in protecting the NHS and saving lives by staying at home and not mixing with people they don’t live with. “
Mayor of Bedford Borough, Dave Hodgson said, “Cases of COVID-19 are rising at an alarming rate in Bedford Borough with latest figures showing that cases here are doubling every week. We know that many people were hoping to see family and friends over this time, and having to change plans is a real blow in what has already been a very difficult year.
“But, urgent action is needed as we try to contain the spread of this virus. Our Environmental Health team, the COVID marshals and the Police visited businesses to provide advice and support following the Tier Four announcement at the weekend. They will continue to be a presence in town and at supermarkets to assist and ensure people continue to follow the rules in place to keep us all safe.
“The ‘stay at home’ order in tier four is now law and we need everyone to play their part.”
Cllr Hazel Simmons, Leader of Luton Council, said: “This horrific disease is spreading dangerously quickly across our region and we must all do whatever we can to break the transmission before our health services become overrun.
“This is the worst possible message to be delivering at Christmas time but the single best action we can take to protect each other is to stay at home and not mix with people we don’t live with.”
Anyone with symptoms must immediately self-isolate for seven days and should only leave the house to access a test.
Regional and local test sites will operate on slightly reduced hours on some public holidays as well as on Christmas and New Year’s Eve but will be open as normal on other days.
To book a site test or a home test go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus or if you don’t have internet access contact the telephone call centre on 119 between 7am and 11pm.
For those that live and work in Luton and do not have Covid-19 symptoms (and are not self-isolating), rapid lateral flow testing is available. These tests do not require a laboratory and return rapid results within 45 minutes.
Find out more information on Rapid Testing in Luton.
Getting a coronavirus test: book online - start here (gov.uk)
You need a mobile phone number to apply online for a coronavirus test.
If you do not have one, you can call 119 - the contact centre - to get a test in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Calls to 119 are free from mobiles and landlines.
