Cheshire East Council has thanked all the companies which have supported the shielding programme – helping the council and the community respond to the coronavirus pandemic.
The NHS has identified one and a half million people most at risk of needing hospital treatment if they catch coronavirus and who have been asked to stay at home for at least 12 weeks from being notified.
While everyone is being advised to keep their distance from other people to help stop the spread of coronavirus, those people, including children with underlying health conditions, need to take even more precautions to protect themselves.
Those most at risk, include:
● Solid organ transplant recipients;
● Some people with cancer, who are undergoing treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy;
● People on immunosuppression drugs;
● Women who are pregnant and have heart disease;
● People with severe respiratory conditions – cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and COPD;
● Some people with rare diseases such as severe combined immunodeficiency.
Councillor Mick Warren, Cheshire East Council cabinet member with responsibility for communities, said: “The council is keen to support our most vulnerable residents during this crisis and the measures we have taken are tailored towards supporting people with the highest risk of severe illness from the virus. It is important people know where to go for help, advice and support for themselves and their families.
“For anyone struggling with support needs and who is unable to get help from family, friends or a local support group due to the coronavirus outbreak, the council has set up a community shielding hub.
“’Our shielding hub has so far supported around 2,000 residents and issued more than 137 emergency parcels across the borough to those who have not received a government parcel or are newly registered on to the shielding programme. Through a combination of both purchases and donations, the council has replenished stocks and enhanced the government’s parcel content with the inclusion of toiletries and other items, in addition to food.
“A further 3,100 vulnerable people have been supported with the Council’s People Helping People initiative. The service provides local residents with underlying health issues and/or who were above the age of 70 who do not have the available support networks with the option to request help for tasks such as food shopping or prescription collection. To meet the needs of local residents the service also allows local people to offer their availability and support via www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/peoplehelpingpeople
“I would also like to take the opportunity to thank the council’s contact centre staff, library staff and the host of volunteers who have made initial contact with residents to ascertain their individual needs and signpost them to the most appropriate services. Staff from our highways service, via Ringway Jacobs along with our community enforcement officers, have been out delivering parcels every day from the hub.”
Companies who have contributed and supported the shielding hub include:
● Jaymar Packaging in Crewe has donated more than 1,300 boxes to support the hub and colleagues in the council’s children and families service;
● Mornflake, in Crewe, initially provided some personal protection equipment (PPE) and subsequently donated a huge amount of breakfast products;
● Taste For Life, from Everybody Sport and Recreation, has donated food, energy drinks and other items from their cafes and shops;
● Recipharm, based in Holmes Chapel, has donated PPE and staff there donated and provided more than 10 boxes of food items.
● Morrison’s supermarkets, in both Middlewich and Nantwich, have helped council staff secure essential supplies to supplement the hub stock and this has included significant donations of food, toiletries and more than 70 Easter eggs over the Easter weekend
● Ryman, in Crewe, for supplying PPE; and
● Aldi supermarkets for supplying a range of foodstuffs and toiletries.
The NHS in England has contacted clinically extremely vulnerable people with the listed conditions to provide further advice. If you have not received a letter or you have not been contacted by your GP, but you’re still concerned, you should discuss your concerns with your GP or hospital clinician after you have registered for this service.
You can register on the government website at: www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable
Please note that it may take time for any support offered through this service to arrive. Wherever possible, you should continue to rely on friends, family and wider support to help you meet your needs.
