Coronavirus (COVID-19)

At this stage the guidance you should follow is being issued by health providers. This is regularly updated on the NHS website, which is the recommended source of information for the public. We would encourage you to familiarise yourself with this advice. We will continue to share NHS guidance on our social media channels.

The latest NHS advice is to: Stay at home if you have coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home  if you have either:

• a high temperature
• a new continuous cough

Do not go directly to your GP, pharmacy, hospital or other healthcare setting.

You do not need to contact 111 to tell them you’re staying at home.

Information on coronavirus can be found on the NHS website.

Avoid catching and spreading coronavirus (social distancing)

We should all do what we can to help stop viruses like coronavirus spreading.

It is particularly important for people who:

• are 70 or over
• have a long-term condition
• are pregnant
• have a weakened immune system

Do:

• wash your hands with soap and water often – for at least 20 seconds
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work
• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available
• cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze
• put used tissues in the bin immediately and wash your hands afterwards
• avoid close contact with people who have symptoms of coronavirus
• only travel on public transport if you need to
• work from home if you can
• avoid social activities, such as going to pubs, restaurants, theatres and cinemas
• avoid events with large groups of people
• use phone, online services or apps to contact your GP surgery or other NHS services

Do not:

• touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean
• have visitors to your home, including friends and family

Our aim is to keep the organisation running and deliver the services that our residents rely on while protecting the health and wellbeing of our staff. 

In line with the latest advice, we are minimising the levels of interaction we have with colleagues, business partners and customers by advising against all but essential travel and substituting meetings for telephone or video calls.  

You can see the latest information about changes to services here.

The council is also involved with continual monitoring across Kent through the Kent Resilience Forum involving all of the relevant agencies. 

We understand that this is a very difficult and uncertain time for a number of our local businesses. On 17 March 2020, Government announced a package of support for businesses during this period of disruption. The council is currently awaiting further details from the Government and will provide more information as a priority as soon as this is available.

For more information you can view the Government Guidance COVID-19: support for businesses 

We have also created a page with useful links for businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic

For the time being, Government has confirmed the following:

• Guidance for local authorities on the business rates holiday will be published by 20 March – further information is available in our Business Rates section
• Guidance for local authorities on the grant schemes will be provided shortly
• Funding for the grant schemes will be provided to local authorities by Government in early April

The local community across Thanet is working together to provide support to those who might need it during such an uncertain time. We are looking to support these efforts, though they are not run by the council.

A number of organisations are already collating information for people to find help and advice:

• Isle of Thanet news article
• Thanet Coronavirus Assistance (Facebook group)
• Kent Covid-19 Mutual Aid (Facebook group)

If you are self-isolating, these organisations can provide help and support:

• Age UK – 0800 6781602
• Asthma UK – 0300 222 5800
• British Heart Foundation – 0300 330 3311
• Diabetes UK – 0345 123 2399
• Mind – 0300 123 3393
• Scope – 0808 800 3333
• The Silver Line – 0800 470 8090

Public Health England (PHE) has published advice for the following groups:

• Guidance for employees, employers and buisnesses
• Support for businesses
• Social or community care and residential settings
• Educational settings
• Staff in the transport sector

PHE regularly updates this blog where you can find out what you need to know about Coronavirus (COVID-19).