New powers have now been given to councils in England to shut pubs, cafes, shops and restaurants, as well as close public places and cancel events, in areas hit by coronavirus outbreaks. Changes to the legislation to enable local authorities to act quicker have been suggested for a while now, so it was not a surprise to see these measures announced late last week. The experience from Leicester and other areas are likely to have informed these new arrangements.

Clearly, this will be an important power in helping the council to control the spread of Covid-19. We?ve been working collaboratively with our partners and the public to control the virus as part of our Local Outbreak Control Plan. So far, Nottingham has not seen the levels of Covid-19 experienced in other parts of the country. That is down to the way everyone has played their part in helping to manage the outbreak by staying home, staying safe, hand-hygiene and observing social distancing. We need everyone to continue to help us with this to enable Nottingham to avoid the need for a local lockdown and to keep our city and its people safe.

The best steps to prevent the spread of Covid-19 are:

• Maintain social distance
• If you?re out in our city, keep left on pavements and pathways
• Wear a face covering in shops and on public transport
• Wash hands with soap and water for 20 seconds
• Self-isolate if you have symptoms and get tested for Covid-19

While I am glad to see that councils have been given additional powers to help tackle local outbreaks, I call on the Government to match our increase in responsibilities with the extra resources promised at the start of this pandemic. Council key workers have stepped up to the challenge, now Government needs to keep its promise to ?stand shoulder to shoulder? with us.

The traditional Notts Pride celebration in Hockley has been a well-loved city event for many years, and last year more than 9,000 people lined the streets of Nottingham to celebrate our local LGBTQ+ community. This year, in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the organisers have moved the event online.

It will feature performances from Nottingham-based singer songwriter Rob Green, Miss Bowie and the Killer Stars, Concrete Rose, and interviews with local activists and city leaders. The filming for this event took place in the Ballroom at Nottingham?s Council House and will be broadcast this Saturday between 7pm and 9pm on Nottinghamshire Pride?s social media channels. Find out more Notts pride online?

From this Friday it will be mandatory to wear a face covering in shops as well as on public transport.? A face covering is something which safely covers the nose and mouth. You can buy reusable or single-use face coverings. You may also use a scarf, bandana, religious garment or hand-made cloth covering but these must securely fit round the side of the face.

Covid-19 can be spread by people who do not have symptoms and do not know that they are infected. That?s why it?s important for everyone to wear a cloth face covering in public - by wearing a mask you are protecting others and you are being protected yourself when others do.

When you wear a face covering make sure you:

• Fully cover your nose and mouth
• Don't touch the front of it
• Wash your hands before and after putting it on or taking it off
• Wash the face covering regularly with your normal laundry

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For more information visit Face coverings: when to wear one and how to make your own