The Government has today announced that Covid-19 restrictions will be lifted on Thursday. Falling rates of Covid and greater protection from the vaccine means the Government feels the risk to most people is now reduced.

I?m pleased that we have made progress in our efforts to tackle the virus, but I would like to offer a note of caution: we are still living with Covid. We still have a higher number of Covid cases in Nottingham than we?d like ? and we still have people who are very unwell in hospital. Sadly, people are still dying of Covid.

There are also people in our neighbourhoods and communities who remain vulnerable to the virus.

It is worth remembering that the national restrictions are about things we must do to stay safe from Covid-19. I would urge everyone in Nottingham to think about everything you can continue to do to help reduce the spread of Covid.

There are sensible everyday actions you can consider over the coming weeks:

• You can still wear a face covering in crowded indoor spaces
• You can still be vigilant about washing your hands
• You can still try to maintain social distance and meet other people outdoors if possible
• You can still take steps to reduce the spread to others if you have Covid symptoms, such as staying at home
• You can continue to make sure you?ve had every available dose of the Covid vaccine

We have to take this next step together as a city. Think about the sensible actions you can take for yourself as well as for others.

I have no doubt that this will be an anxious time for many ? especially those in our city who are more vulnerable to viruses like Covid-19. We?ve lived with rules and restrictions for almost two years. If you are worried about the next step, don?t feel you have to rush back to ?normality?.

If you choose to go back to how things were before Covid, please be respectful of those who might need to go a little more slowly. I?m proud of the way people in Nottingham pulled together to support each other through the pandemic. Let?s not stop now. Let?s all continue to take care of ourselves and take care of other people.

We have more ?50 supermarket vouchers to give away to people in Nottingham who claim Council Tax Support. The City Council has secured the vouchers through the Government?s Household Support Grant. We gave away the first batch of vouchers in December and reopened the scheme for a second batch of vouchers earlier this month. If you claimed in December you can still claim another voucher in February. These are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to find out more: www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/HouseholdSupportVouchers.

We are still dealing with the aftermath of Storm Eunice and now the impact of Storm Franklin. City parks remain closed today, including Wollaton Hall and Deer Park, with advice to avoid areas under or near trees.

Water levels in the River Trent have risen considerably, which has prompted the closure of the Queen?s Drive Park & Ride site as a precaution today as it is susceptible to flooding. It will remain closed tomorrow given the forecast, meaning Medilink and route 49 service, while operating hospital to hospital via Wilkinson Street, won?t call at Queen?s Drive. Other affected services include the vaccination centre at The Forest which remains closed today.

Once again, I thank all the council staff who are responding to the impact of stormy weather to keep people safe in our city.

The public consultation on proposed changes to our library service, including the closure of three libraries with low use, high costs and nearby alternatives is currently open.

We regret proposing any closures as we know how important libraries are to our communities. That?s why we have sought to protect libraries from the impact of the ?303m of budget savings we have made since 2010. However, we now need to be realistic and resourceful about the future of libraries and meeting the needs of our residents. In light of the council?s difficult financial situation, we hope that the proposed transformation will help the library service adapt and become more cost-effective, while also ensuring the needs of Nottingham?s residents continue to be met.

No decisions on any of the proposals being discussed have been made or will be made until we consider your views. We would appreciate you responding to our survey to help inform the City Council about shaping its future library service. You can find out more and take part in the consultation here: www.nottinghamcitylibraries.co.uk/the-next-chapter.

The Kickstart Scheme which launched in 2020 to offer high quality six-month work placements for young people aged 16 to 24 and on Universal Credit is running until 28 February. Kickstart jobs offer a wide experience of careers including in manual trade, office work, IT, or something creative like marketing or graphic design, take a look on the Nottingham Jobs website to see the variety of roles available right now?www.nottinghamjobs.com/current-vacancies/