I?m pleased to see that the Covid-19 vaccination is now being rolled out to people aged over 65 this week. It means we can start to protect even more people from this virus. Appointments are available at sites all over the city ? many late into the evening and especially over the weekend.

Our Deputy Leader, Cllr Sally Longford, was able to have her vaccination today at the King?s Meadow site on Lenton Lane. You can watch her account of it below. While the extended rollout is welcome, it is still important that we continue to ensure everyone in the older age groups is supported to have the vaccine ? those who are aged 70 and above. We can?t leave anyone behind.

The vaccine remains our one path out of the pandemic. If you know someone who may be eligible, please help them to book their vaccination ? especially if their first language is not English. Let?s do all we can to keep Nottingham safe, and together we can play our part in beginning to get our lives back to normal.

More information about the vaccine and booking links for each of the three eligible groups can be found on the local NHS website here.

I wanted to take a moment today ahead of the half-term holiday to say a huge thank you on behalf of Nottingham City Council to all teachers, school and nursery staff for their incredible efforts over the past 12 months. We?ve rightly spoken before about NHS workers and our own frontline council teams, acknowledging the vital role they have played in keeping our city going and offering support to residents throughout the pandemic.

But it?s also important to recognise the work of everyone who has kept our nurseries, schools and childminders open safely during this time. They had one main goal prior to the pandemic starting last March, which was to teach and inspire the city?s children ? and we have some of the best in the country when it comes to that. However, society has demanded far more of our educators since then. They?ve had to look after pupils in school whose parents are on the frontline of the Covid response ? making sure they?re safe within their classroom environments ? while at the same time communicating with children trying to learn from home.

As a former headteacher, I know this is not an easy task. We owe them all a huge debt of gratitude and thank them for all their ongoing work and efforts.

Anyone who would like to say thank you to their child?s school, setting, childminder or recognise a staff member who has gone the extra mile to support a pupil, can email [email protected].

Nottingham has long enjoyed a special friendship with China, especially our sister city of Ningbo. I really value the link between our two cities in terms of education, trade and culture. Nottingham?s communities originating from China and Hong Kong have like the vast majority of all Nottingham people continued to follow the Government?s safety guidance. I thank people for this because I know it is these special occasions which can make being apart even more frustrating.

Although the traditional events cannot take place this year, Nottingham Lakeside Arts and the Nottingham Confucius Institute are marking the beginning of the Year of the Ox with an online performance suitable for all the family. Find out more Chinese New Year Celebrations 2021 | Lakeside Arts, Nottingham

I would like to wish our Chinese friends, both in Nottingham and in Ningbo, a very Happy New Year.?