Tonight we marked Nottingham?s grim milestone of 500 deaths from Covid with 500 candles in the Old Market Square and switching off the lights of the Council House.

We cannot underestimate the effect these deaths have on families, friends and our communities, as people have lost partners, sons, daughters, sisters, brothers, mothers and fathers.

It was important to honour every single one of these city residents and in doing so, send our heartfelt condolences to those who loved them. We must also use this moment to redouble our efforts to protect ourselves and those around us from this devastating disease.

Please make sure you continue to observe the ?hands, face, space? guidance and lockdown rules, get tested and if you are eligible, make sure you book your vaccination (see below).

It?s great news that around nine million people in the UK have already received their first vaccination against Covid ? this starts to give some hope for things improving as this year progresses. The vaccine will give each person protection against Covid and as more of the population is immunised, help to prevent the virus from spreading.

There have perhaps inevitably been some mistakes as this unprecedented vaccination programme is rolled out by the NHS, including an unfortunate mix-up by our local NHS Clinical Commissioning Group which led to clinically extremely vulnerable under-16s inadvertently receiving letters inviting them for a vaccination. Large queues have also been a concern at some sites and there have been some issues with booking online. The NHS both locally and nationally is working around the clock to address issues and adjust the process as needed. ?However, on the whole this has been a magnificent effort by the NHS and we can all play our part by responding as soon as we are contacted to book appointments for ourselves or others we know who are eligible.

Anyone over 70 can now book an appointment at vaccination centres across the city. You can book online https://www.swiftqueue.co.uk/nottinghamc19vpatient.php or by calling 0115 883 4640. Please note that it is vital that you book before you go as the vaccination centres can only see people who have booked an appointment.?

Many household incomes have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic leading to more people than ever struggling to keep their heads above water. To help tackle this I?m really pleased that this week we?ve been able to launch the Covid Winter Grant scheme to support struggling residents in Nottingham.

The council has already supported those families in receipt of means-tested free school meals with ?500,000 of e-vouchers over the Christmas holiday and has allocated another ?250,000 for the February half-term. Many residents do not receive this or any other form of benefit but are having to get by on low incomes. Therefore, we are now making 10,000 supermarket e-vouchers (worth ?50 each) available to residents who may need an extra bit of help and are currently not receiving any other form of benefit. With rising food costs, we hope this extra support will ease the strain on some families to help them through these difficult times.

Find out more and to apply online here: covid winter grant scheme