I’m writing to you with my latest update on the response to the
Coronavirus or COVID-19 pandemic in
Harrow. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌


[CV Update from GT]

Dear John,

Harrow enters Tier 3 this morning. Given the serious rise in the
number of COVID cases in Harrow and across London, it is clear the
move into Tier 3 is sensible. We know that when cases start to rise
quickly, acting early will prevent greater impact on NHS capacity, and
prevent more restrictions down the line. The reality is that more
contact is leading to more cases, with about 1 in 3 people across
London are transmitting the virus without realising. In the last week,
Harrow has seen 771 cases of COVID, a rise in 210+ CASES from the
week before. Harrow’s latest case rate is 253 CASES PER 100,000,
while nationally, the rate is 181. 

It is also very clear that there must now be more support for sectors
in our economy being hardest hit; to protect jobs and to stop further
people being pushed into hardship, particularly in the hospitality and
self-employed sectors. The Government must also urgently cover the
full cost of Statutory Sick Pay for workers that have to
self-isolate. 

DO MAKE SURE TO OBSERVE THE NEW MEASURES AND PLEASE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW
THE PUBLIC HEALTH RULES:

⛔ No socialising indoors or in gardens, other than with your
household or bubble

6️⃣ Rule of six applies outside in public, such as parks and
public gardens

🚇 Essential travel only

🍺 Pubs, cafes and restaurants are takeaway and delivery only

 

AND CONTINUE TO:

🧼 Wash your hands regularly

😷 Wear A Mask

↔️ Keep 2m apart

💻 Work from home if you can

As a community, we are immensely grateful to all of our NHS staff,
social care workers and all of our key workers that continue to keep
us safe and keep our local services going. It was incredibly positive
to see Harrow’s first vaccinations take place this week, a great
reminder of the value of our National Health Service and a symbol of
light at the end of this tunnel. I have included a key Question &
Answer from NHS Public Health England on the Pfizer/BioNTech
vaccination process in London care homes below.

I hope readers continue to stay safe, socially distance and regularly
check in on loved ones.  Again, people are being urged to remain
vigilant for any symptoms of Covid-19 If you're feeling unwell with
any of the symptoms of Covid, a new continuous cough, high
temperature, or a loss of or change to taste or smell, it's vital that
you get tested. To book a test visit nhs.uk/coronavirus
[/nhs.uk/coronavirus] or call 119. The response to Coronavirus is
being directed by Government centrally working with Public Health
England, the Government’s advice is available here
[[link removed]]. Government
assistance specifically for businesses  is available here
[[link removed]].  

As always, if you need to get in touch about the issues covered here
– or anything else – please contact my office on 0207 219
4243 or e-mail me at [email protected]. Please bear
with us, as we have received over 5 times our usual weekly amount of
correspondence. My team and I are working hard to respond as promptly
as possible. Although we have had to cancel face to face surgery
appointments, we are now scheduling regular Zoom surgeries and phone
calls with Harrow West constituents. 

[Tier 3 restrictions]

COVID MUTATION

On 14 December, while announcing the move of London and parts of the
South East into Tier 3 restriction measures, Health Secretary, Matt
Hancock announced that a new strain of coronavirus had been
detected, predominantly in the South of England. COVID-19 is caused
by a virus, SARS-CoV-2, which like all viruses, may develop mutations
while it circulates. In a statement to Parliament, Hancock said that
_“Initial analysis suggests that this variant is growing faster than
the existing variants.” _This analysis is yet to be released to
the public, although a statement has been released by the COVID-19
Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK). Many scientists note that there is
not enough publicly-available evidence to conclude that increased
prevalence is due to a new strain. Increased rates of spread could
instead be due to increased mobility after lockdown, poor crisis
management, reduced compliance with social distancing, or indeed many
other factors. Evidence to better understand the rapid spread of this
new strain should be made public immediately.

Frustration at lack of data released alongside the Government’s
statement has been voiced by researchers. Dr Lucy van Dorp, Senior
Research Fellow in microbial genomics at the UCL Genetics Institute,
stated that “It is frustrating to have claims like this made without
the associated evidence presented for scientific assessment, and the
variant remains to be officially announced.”

HARROW COUNCIL

[Harrow Council]

The council has a webpage covering their own response to the
coronavirus pandemic, this is regularly being updated and is
available here.  
[[link removed]]

VACCINE DISTRIBUTION BEGINS IN HARROW

The first set of vaccinations started yesterday at The Hive – GPs
are inviting their mobile patients who are aged 80 and over.
Vaccination has also started in the hospital for NHS staff who are
caring for people with Covid and also those people in need of health
care. It is vital that we keep rates down so that the NHS can continue
to treat people that need support. The majority of people in priority
groups will not begin to see invitations for vaccinations until
mid-January.

BOOK A FREE TEST ONLINE
[[link removed]] OR
CALL 119

😷 GETTING TESTED AT A LOCAL TESTING CENTRE: 🧪

·       SOUTH HARROW walk-through testing centre at Brigade
Close Car Park, HA2 0LQ (opposite South Harrow Police Station) - open
daily 8am to 8pm. No parking available at this site.

·       HARROW WEALD, Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, 8am-8pm

·       Mobile Testing Unit, HARROW CIVIC CENTRE - Car Park
‘A’, Milton Road, 10:30 – 15:30

·       Mobile testing site (cars only) on selected days,
10.30am to 3.30pm at NORTHWICK PARK HOSPITAL (Rear car park).

TESTS MUST BE BOOKED IN ADVANCE. ONLY BOOK A TEST IF YOU HAVE
SYMPTOMS.

CONSIDER BECOMING A STEM CELL DONOR #HELPVEERNOW

[HelpVeerNow]

Harrow born Veer Gudhka, aged 4, has been searching for a matching
stem cell donor for over a year now. It is often very difficult for
people of Asian origin to find their match. Veer's parents have been
appealing to people of all backgrounds, but especially Asians, to step
forward and join the global stem cell register. All it takes to do so
is a simple cheek swab test in your own home! If you are found to be a
match, donation itself is usually as simple as giving blood. So, we
urge you to register today to help Veer and countless others who are
in desperate need of a match and to potentially give them a second
lease of life.

Order your free swab kit today: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

The HelpVeerNow campaign has managed to inspire over 9000 people to
register and one of these 9000 people in India has actually gone on to
donate his stem cells and save someone else’s life! This is why
every registration really does count, so please keep encouraging
others to register as stem cell donors too

You can download an interactive PDF for sharing across your WhatsApp
and Email networks. Please download today and get
sharing: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

Follow @HELPVEERNOW across Facebook
[[link removed]] and Instagram
[[link removed]].

SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY

[Small Business Saturday invite]

Last Saturday, December 5th was Small Business Saturday. It was my
great pleasure to spotlight so many of Harrow’s excellent small
businesses across Facebook
[[link removed]], Instagram
[[link removed]] and Twitter
[[link removed]] -
the full week's list has also  been added to my site.
[[link removed]]

Shops, pubs and restaurants, manufacturers, hotels and hairdressers,
beauty salons and suppliers, breweries and bakeries, and many more
small businesses of all kinds are the beating heart of communities
across the country and they’ve adapted brilliantly in tough
circumstances. 

But small businesses are struggling and facing a serious cash crisis
after eight months of difficult trading conditions. Labour is warning
that many small businesses that have reopened this week may not make
it to Spring because of the Government’s irresponsible choices, as
new analysis reveals an estimated 390,000 small businesses are worried
they won’t survive the next three months. 

We can all do our bit to stand by small businesses in the months ahead
– by shopping where we live, including online, and eating at or
ordering in from local restaurants. But we’ve got to stand up for
them too to ensure they get the support from the Government they need
to support them through this crisis and after that too. 

I’m arranging a Small Business Roundtable for this FRIDAY, 18TH
DECEMBER, I want to speak to as many of the businesses that serve my
constituency as possible. This would be a useful opportunity to voice
your concerns and the challenges you are facing regarding the
pandemic, now that we have re-entered another tiered system. I
understand this has been an incredibly challenging year and I want to
hold an open conversation about furlough, the decline in foot fall,
rent and much more. This also serves as an opportunity to see what I
can do to represent your voices locally and in Westminster. Please
send me an e-mail on [email protected] if you are a small
business and would like to attend.

LONDON CARE HOMES VACCINATION FAQ

[Vaccine FAQ]

A letter outlining plans for getting the first vaccine to care home
staff can be found
here: [link removed]
programme-launch
[[link removed]]

KEY QUESTIONS 

HOW DOES THE PFIZER/BIONTECH VACCINE WORK? 

• The vaccine is a messenger RNA (mRNA) which stands for messenger
ribonucleic acid 

• Scientist take part of the virus’ genetic code or RNA, that
tells the cells what to build, and coats them in a lipid so that they
can enter the cells of the body 

• This is what is in the injection that the person receives 

• Once injected the vaccine is translated into a viral protein which
our immune system detects 

• This prompts the immune system to produce anti-bodies and
T-cells 

• If the person encounters coronavirus the anti-bodies and T-cells
are triggered to fight it 

WHY SHOULD YOU HAVE THE VACCINE? 

The NHS is offering all care home staff, other social care staff and
healthcare staff the vaccine. Having the vaccine offers immunity, to
protect you from COVID-19. The more people that have the vaccine, the
more it will help to protect those most vulnerable in our communities
such as care home residents. 

The JCVI advice states that the infection rates are higher in
residential care home staff, than in those providing domiciliary care
of in health care workers. Therefore, care home workers are considered
a very high priority for the vaccine. You can find the JCVI report 
here
[[link removed]].

WHAT ARE THE SIDE EFFECTS? 

Most side effects are mild or moderate and go away within a few days
of appearing. If side effects such as pain and/or fever are
troublesome, they can be treated by medicines for pain and fever such
as paracetamol. The common side effects are: pain at injection site,
tiredness, headache, muscle pain, chills, joint pain and fever. Side
effects are listed in the information leaflets: 

Public Health England COVID-19 vaccination patient leaflet
[[link removed]]

Public Health England COVID-19 vaccine health and social care
worker leaflet
[[link removed]]

Leaflet on what to expect after your COVID-19 vaccinations
[[link removed]]

IS THE VACCINE SAFE? 

The vaccine has been approved as safe by the MHRA (Medicines and
Healthcare products Regulatory Agency). The vaccine has been through 3
phases of clinical trials. In the third phase it was given to more
than 21,000 volunteers with no serious safety concerns. As with any
medicine, vaccines are highly regulated products. There are checks at
every stage in the development and manufacturing process. 

At your vaccine appointment you will speak to a clinician who will
check that you are suitable to receive the vaccine and can answers any
that questions that you might have. 

WHY ARE CARE HOMES AND CARE HOME STAFF GOING FIRST? 

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)
advises that the first priorities for any COVID-19 vaccine should be
prevention of people dying and the protection of health and social
care staff. Older people living in care homes have been affected by
COVID-19 more than other groups, therefore the JCVI has recommended
that they are the highest priority. 

WHEN IS THE VACCINATION PROGRAMME PROPOSED TO START IN OLDER PEOPLE'S
CARE HOMES?

The NHS is preparing to roll out a safe, effective vaccine as soon as
one becomes available. We do not have a specific date for vaccination
to start in older people’s care homes, 

Are mental health and learning disability homes included? 

The independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI)
has published advice on priority groups for the vaccine, this include
residents in care homes for older adults and frontline health and
social care workers. The document specifies older adults care homes. 

CORONAVIRUS CHRISTMAS EXPLAINED BY AGE UK

The Government recently announced that from the 23rd – 27thDecember
everyone will be able to form a ‘Christmas bubble’ with up to two
different households. To help older people understand what they can
and cannot do over this period, Age UK have produced a webpage which
clearly explains the new rules
[[link removed]]. A
reminder that you shouldn't be part of a Christmas bubble if you have
symptoms, you must test and self-isolate. This webpage from Age UK
includes information on:

Travelling to form a bubble and staying overnight with your bubble

Forming a bubble if you’re extremely clinically vulnerable

Forming a bubble with someone living in a care home

How to avoid catching coronavirus over Christmas

While many older people are delighted to hear that they can spend time
with loved ones this Christmas, we know that for others this news will
be worrying and they may be feeling anxious. This blog
[[link removed]] 
[[link removed]]will
help older people and their families think through the risks of
meeting others for Christmas and what they can do to stay safe over
the holiday season.

HARROW ARTS & CULTURE

INTREPID HILL PLAYERS PANTO (FROM HOME)

[Intrepid Hill Players]

The intrepid Hill Players of Harrow will not be stopped by a pandemic,
and if they can’t host their usual Panto in the Ryan, they’ll do a
virtual one… (oh yes, they will)!!

The Players have four free shows as a live stream on the 19th &
20th December. You’re welcome to come along and cheer and jeer
from home. Please share among families, family organisations, care
groups, etc, who might need some cheering up… 

[link removed] [[link removed]]

FINDING SUPPORT

FRESH HORIZONS HOMELESS SUPPORT

The Fresh Horizons CND charity based in Wembley has supported
accommodation available for the single homeless in Harrow during the
ongoing coronavirus restrictions. If you or someone you know is in
need of supported accommodation, Fresh Horizons can be contacted by
telephone at 0300 321 4702 or via email at [email protected]

 

NHS – ‘HELP US, HELP YOU’ 

NHS England and NHS Improvement recently launched the Access phase of
the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign. The campaign encourages the
public to contact their GP if they are worried about a symptom that
could be cancer, encourage pregnant women to keep appointments and
seek advice if they are worried about their baby, encourage those
already who are already being treated for a health issue to keep their
routine appointments and those experience mental health issues to
access NHS services and support.. The NHS has introduced a range of
measures to ensure the safety of patients, including COVIDsecure
wards, and the ‘Help Us, Help You’ campaign will help to reassure
patients that they can receive medical care safely. Your NHS is here
to see you, safely. Help Us, Help You. 

For cancer: Visit NHS.UK/CANCERSYMPTOMS [/nhs.uk/cancersymptoms]
 for more information 

For using the NHS during coronavirus: Visit NHS.UK/YOURHEALTHMATTERS
[/nhs.uk/yourhealthmatters] for more information 

For pregnancy advice: Visit NHS.UK/PREGNANCY-AND-CORONAVIRUS
[/nhs.uk/pregnancy-and-coronavirus] for more information 

For mental health and talking therapies If you are struggling with
anxiety or depression, please do come forward: it’s easy to get
help. Ask your GP for a referral to NHS talking therapies, or you can
self-refer via   [/ nhs.uk/talk]NHS.UK/TALK [/ nhs.uk/talk]

SUPPORT FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Harrow Council, Harrow CCG, and Young Harrow Foundation have put
together a joint document
[[link removed]] signposting
residents to a collection of some of the most helpful and trusted
sources of information and guidance for children and young people’s
wellbeing.

For young people (high school and college age), the
document ‘looking after ourselves’ can be found here
[[link removed]] – covering
how to stay healthy, stay connected and learn new skills during this
time.

SUPPORT AND ONLINE RESOURCES FOR THE FAMILY

Harrow Council have collected a range of online resources
[[link removed]]
 for all members of the family to keep entertained while libraries
are closed. You will be able to find resource to help with homework,
eBooks, newspapers and magazines and keeping yourself healthy and
motivated.

Counselling services and mental health support

•       5 Steps to Mental Wellbeing
[[link removed]]
  - A fantastic primer on stress, anxiety and depression from the
NHS. Evidence suggests there are 5 steps you can take to improve your
mental health and wellbeing. Trying these things could help you feel
more positive and able to get the most out of life.

·       Relate Family Mediation 
[[link removed]] - a
service fully geared up to supporting families through the crisis.
Tel: 0300 0032324 or email [email protected].

·       DAWN [[link removed]]  - provide
a counselling service to the local community of Harrow and its
neighbouring boroughs. Tel: 020 8427 6796 or
email: [email protected]

·       Need To Talk [[link removed]]  - offering
1 to 1 counselling supporting their clients or any client by telephone
or webcam. Tel: call/ text on 07427548559 or
email [email protected]

·       Ignite Trust 
[[link removed]]  - During these challenging
and uncertain times, Ignite Trust is working hard to ensure they
continue to provide support to the boroughs most vulnerable and
at-risk young people. Email [email protected].

·        [[link removed]] Every
Mind Matters [[link removed]] - Expert
advice and practical tips to help you look after your mental health
and wellbeing.

CORONAVIRUS HOTLINE

The council continues to operate a hotline telephone number during
weekends in order to provide support to those in need of assistance in
Harrow - if you are in need of support due to Covid please give the
hotline a call - 0208 901 2698

CAN YOU PROVIDE SUPPORT?

[LCK]

London's Community Kitchen (based at The Bridge, next to Harrow
Leisure Centre) continue to put Harrow on the map. At the height of
the pandemic, this incredible operation served over 10,000 people
across Harrow and London and they are continuing to serve over 5,000
people per week. The Community Kitchen is working with Harrow Council
and many other community groups to coordinate a Harrow wide response
to the Coronavirus outbreak. Please consider donating or getting
involved in any way that you
can: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

If you’re ever in need of their support, the Community Kitchen want
to help - they wont ask you for any details, or anything in return,
just turn up and they will provide you with food. If you would like to
get involved with the Community Kitchen - register
here: [link removed]
[[link removed] ]  
[[link removed] ]and if you
can donate anything, they will make a little go a very long
way: [link removed]
[[link removed]]

HELP FROM ME

[GT Zoom Surgeries]

I appreciate that whilst this outbreak of Covid-19 is currently
dominating a lot of our thoughts, other concerns and problems do not
disappear. However, to help reduce the spread of infection, I am
asking members of the public who need to contact my office to do so by
phone or email rather than in person and further, I will continue to
hold surgery appointments exclusively by telephone and Zoom video
conferencing. This is a temporary measure and a sensible precaution to
protect vulnerable people.  Please be assured we continue to offer a
full service of advice and support to members of the public who need
it. 

As always, my office can be contacted
on [email protected] or by telephone on 0207 219 4243
(Monday-Friday).

STAY SAFE

Best wishes,

GARETH

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[[link removed]]

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The Labour Party, 105 Victoria St Westminster, London, SW1E 6QT, United Kingdom
[link removed]