Despite the lifting of restrictions, it is clear the pandemic, or rather ‘pingdemic’, is far from over. It is a serious concern that local case numbers have risen sharply this week from 411.1 to 585.7 infections per 100,000 people, registering amongst the highest levels in the country. Thousands across all age groups are self-isolating, causing systemic disruption to our way of life.

We can each take steps to reduce the surge in local Covid infections. Let’s not drop our guard just because legal restrictions have been lifted and the sun has come out. The advice of our public health colleagues has served us well.

So, we should continue to take precautions to stop the spread of the virus by wearing a face covering on public transport, in shops and other indoor public spaces and maintaining good hygiene practices such as hand washing, using sanitiser and opening windows for ventilation.

NHS Test and Trace are providing a vital service which gives each of us a clear way of safely protecting our nearest and dearest, while enjoying greater freedoms. This week a number of pop-up testing facilities are being set up in the district to complement other free testing options available by home delivery, at a local test centre or by collection from a participating pharmacy.

With so many being required to self-isolate, don’t forget that Test & Trace support payments continue to be available.

Vaccination remains our best line of defence and the NHS is asking that we all come forward for our jab without delay. With more than 80% of the local adult population having had at least one dose, our vaccination rates remain above the national average. Amongst the under 25s the figure falls to 55% which is again above average for England; but means that almost half of that age group remain unvaccinated, and therefore unprotected.

It’s been another busy week for the local recovery plan.

Net zero carbon planning policy

Record temperatures in some parts of the UK and catastrophic floods in Germany are a stark reminder of our need to address climate change. This week we are asking for your views on whether all new local homes that are built in the future should be Net Zero Carbon. Consultation on a new ground-breaking planning policy document runs from 26 July until 13 September with information on how to respond available on our website from Monday.

Joint working with Stratford District Council

Work building joint services with Stratford-on-Avon District Council are progressing well, with our first joint staff briefings taking place this week, with presentations from both Chief Executives, followed by a helpful Question and Answer session.

Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - one year to go

Next Wednesday 28 July, it will be only one year to go until the start of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. On the third leg of our tour to each of the district’s towns we’ll be holding a special Countdown day on Washbourne Fields in Whitnash from 10am to 2pm.

This is a great opportunity for local people to get a flavour of this once in a generation event, try some of the sports which will be taking place (including bowls and basketball) all for free! And don’t forget that you can bid for tickets for the actual Games before the main ballot goes live, more details are on the Birmingham 2022 website.

And finally, we’re grateful to the very many readers who responded to our survey and shared helpful feedback on this ‘weekly update’. We’re much encouraged by the positive comments and suggestions you offered. As requested, we’ll continue to share this bulletin on a weekly basis addressing a wider range of topics and items that we hope will be of an ongoing interest.

Keep smiling and stay safe.

Cllr Andrew Day
Leader, Warwick District Council

Chris Elliott
Chief Executive, Warwick District Council