Many of us will be looking forward to a well-earned break over the Easter weekend ? and it might be the perfect opportunity to meet up with family or friends that we haven?t seen in a while. I would urge everyone to make sure they stick to the current guidance: six people, or a larger group if just two households are present, can now meet outside. I need to stress that meeting in these small groups is now only allowed outdoors, please do not be tempted to invite other family members and friends into your house or visit theirs. ??

It is important that we continue to follow the rules. Covid-19 is still present in our city. Lockdown brought down the number of cases in Nottingham ? as well as nationally ? but the pandemic has not yet passed. We have to do all we can to reduce the spread of the virus so we can progress further along the roadmap to unlocking our city.

Find out more and stay up-to-date with the latest Government restrictions (COVID-19) Coronavirus restrictions: what you can and cannot do

It was with a heavy heart that we closed two parks on Wednesday in response to the huge number of people that visited them and the resulting issues. All our parks are currently open and I would ask that everyone use them responsibly;

• Please avoid areas if they are crowded, we have lots of parks to choose from
• Remember that alcohol cannot be consumed in public spaces in the city
• Use litter bins, if they are full please report it and take your rubbish home.

A huge thank you to our council staff, student volunteers and staff from the universities and our own volunteer Clean Champions who cleared up all the litter that has been left in the parks over the last few days by a thoughtless minority. This ensured that our parks are ready for the Easter weekend, which is so important to help people see family and friends in safe outdoor spaces. I know the vast majority of our residents will continue to behave reasonably and thoughtfully as we go into the Easter Weekend and I ask everyone to do their bit to help keep our city safe and clean for all.

From today, guidance for the Clinically Extremely Vulnerable is changing in line with the?Government?s roadmap out of lockdown. This will affect around 25,000 city residents. This means that those on the shielded patient list can now begin to follow the national restrictions alongside the rest of the population. The Government has issued practical steps to help minimise the risk of exposure to Covid-19 wherever possible:

• Limit social interactions, including mixing with other households
• Reduce the amount of time you spend in settings where you are unable to maintain social distancing
• Continue working from home if possible
• Continue to access the NHS services that you need.

For more information please visit Guidance for people who are clinically extremely vulnerable

With schools in Nottingham breaking up this week, I would like to praise our local schools for their efforts over the last twelve months. It has been a year of uncertainty for them, they have had very short notice about lockdowns and have risen to the challenge of remote learning whilst ensuring provision continued for those children who needed to be in school. When the time came to reopen, I know our schools worked hard to ensure the right measures were in place so children could safely return. ?

So as the Easter holidays start, I?d like to thank all those who work in our local schools; head teachers, teachers, teaching assistants and all the other unsung heroes who work behind the scenes to keep our schools running. Enjoy your well-earned break.

Easter is here again! And what a welcome arrival it is. We have endured a year of uncertainty and lockdowns and have sacrificed seeing friends and family. As we look forward to a long weekend I am thankful we can at last see family and friends outside in small groups. I wish everyone a happy Easter and I?m really hopeful that our roadmap out of Covid will continue to hit key milestones and we can start to celebrate occasions together.