Getting older people protected from Covid-19 is a priority. All over-80s in the city should now have had their NHS letter inviting them to book their vaccination.

We can all help with this: if you know someone who is over 80, please make sure:

• Their NHS letter has been received
• Their vaccination appointment has been booked

If the letter has not been received, please book online using https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/nottinghamc19vpatient.php or call 0115 883 4640 to make sure the appointment is booked as soon as possible.

To support older people to get to the vaccination centres, the Medilink bus service has been extended to serve the vaccination centre at the King?s Meadow Campus on LentonLane. From Monday 25 January, concessionary pass holders will be able to travel for free before 9.30am to enable them to attend early appointments (they can already travel for free after 9.30am).

Later this week, people aged over-75 should receive their letters, with people aged over 70 getting their invites from next week.

Today sees a new pilot Asymptomatic Testing Centre open at Djanogly Community Leisure Centre on Gregory Boulevard. The centre will be run by Nottingham City Council and we are encouraging people from the Hyson Green and Forest Fields areas without Covid symptoms to drop in and get a free rapid test once a week.

Many citizens living in this area are of working age and more at risk of COVID-19. Around one in three people with Covid-19 don?t have any symptoms and the testing centre aims to identify and isolate them to help stem the spread of the virus.

The Asymptomatic Testing Centre will be open from Monday ? Saturday (closed Sundays), from 9.30am until 6.30pm. A positive or negative test results can be given within the hour and support will be offered to those people who test positive.For further information please visit: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/asymptomatictesting

The council has now set out its proposals to make ?15.6m of savings to help balance the budget for 2021/22. The budget comes as the council sets out new ways of working to take usforward for the next three years in a?recovery?and improvement?plan following a Government review.

We are also facing challenges?shared by most councils,?including the long-term impacts of reductions in Government funding and the impact of Covid.?Nottingham?City Council?has had to make?over ?271m of budget savings between 2010/11 and 2019/20, and?during the current pandemic has had to deal with??28.4m unreimbursed Covid response costs.?Despite this,?the council has worked hard to protect frontline services that people have valued so much during the pandemic.

Proposals to balance the forthcoming budget include some service changes, as well as a workforce reduction?of?272 full-time equivalent posts ? 80 of which are vacancies.?A?1.99% council tax increase is proposed.?In addition, the council will implement?the Government?s?proposed?3% social care precept towards the rising costs of care services for elderly and vulnerable adults, which now accounts for almost 40% of the council?s entire budget. Click here for more

A consultation on the proposals is now underway ? please take part and complete the survey?here

You?ll no doubt be aware of Storm Christoph in the news this week and noticed the heavy rainfall across Nottingham today. This is expected to get heavier this evening and continue into tomorrow, with the full effect of that felt on Friday.

Currently, we don?t think there will be any significant flooding issues in Nottingham but we?re monitoring the situation very closely. ?

We have already closed Queen?s Drive park-and-ride as a precaution, while our Highways and Street Scene staff have been inspecting hotspot areas of the city, which have been prone to flooding in the past, to make sure gullies and grates are clear of any leaves or debris. This work takes place across the year but we have stepped things up this week in readiness.

We?re in constant contact with colleagues at the Environment Agency and neighbouring councils to stay up-to-date with issues around the wider county area.

Advice to the public is as follows:

• Call 999 if you?re in danger
• Keep listening to local radio updates or call Environment Agency floodline on 0345 988 1188. Regardless of whether you have flood mitigation measures in place, you must prepare your home and evacuate if advised to.
• Environment Agency incident hotline: 0800 80 70 60 for flooding from rivers such as the Day Brook, Leen and Tottle Brook
• For highway flooding, like blocked road gullies, call 0115 915 5555 (switchboard, request Highways), 0115 915 2222 or go online https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/roadproblems
• For sewer flooding, contact Severn Trent Water 0800 783 4444
• To report general flooding, call 0115 915 5555 (switchboard, request flood risk management), or email [email protected]