Controlling and containing the virus in Nottingham is proving to be a citywide effort and everyone needs to do their bit. I know that on the whole people are respecting and following public health guidelines and I thank everyone for that.

I am really pleased to see our children back in schools and getting the education they deserve. Schools and children are working really well together to minimise the risk of any outbreak in their school. However, schools are worried about the effects of parents congregating at the school gate and the opportunity this gives to transmit the virus from person-to-person. This risks undoing all their and their pupils? hard work and possible temporary closures, affecting the quality of education they can deliver. We are asking all of Nottingham?s parents to be mindful of social distancing guidelines at the school gate; that five-minute catch-up is enough time to unknowingly pass the virus on.

Getting children to and from school can be a stressful part of the day. Many parents will know all too well, the roads and pavements outside schools can become very busy at school drop-off and pick-up times. To help with congestion, car-free streets are being trialled outside eight city schools during the autumn term. Closing streets that are notorious for congestion should create a safe and welcoming space to encourage more children and parents to walk, scoot and cycle to school rather than travel by car, and to ensure enough space is available to meet social distancing requirements. Find out more about Car free streets outside schools.

This pandemic has brought many added stresses to people up and down country. For many people worrying about job security and finding employment have become new pressures to bear ? not to mention the many millions of people who were already out of work or in insecure employment.

To help local people find employment, Nottingham Jobs is launching a new campaign to help with job searches, applications and interviews. The Nottingham Jobs Two Week Challenge is a series of bite-size video and daily email updates which will provide job hunters with tips and advice to boost their confidence and give them the best possible start when searching and applying for jobs. If you or someone you know is looking for support to find employment, visit www.nottinghamjobs.com/twoweekchallenge to sign up to the two week challenge.