Airbnb to temporarily restrict UK bookings to key workers

BREAKING NEWS ...

The BBC is reporting this morning (Thursday) that home rental firm Airbnb is to temporarily restrict UK bookings to keyworkers and “essential stays” because of the coronavirus crisis.

The firm said that the measure would last until at least 18 April.

Keyworkers - such as NHS and social care staff, and transport and food retail employees - can still book through a programme called Frontline Stays.

The decision comes after the government criticised opportunistic hosts.

Insight into how county council is dealing with virus crisis

* County Hall, Ruthin. Headquarters of Denbighshire County Council.

Llanblogger has been sent a copy of Denbighshire’s briefing document to its own councillors and those on town and community councils on how it is responding to the coronavirus crisis.

Supplied to us by Llangollen member Graham Timms, this says that during the escalation of the pandemic the county council has been engaging with residents and partners across the county to support residents and maintain service delivery as much as possible.

The emphasis has been on prioritising information gathering and publishing to enable local communities to support their most vulnerable, it adds.

The council’s community housing team has been calling tenants who have been identified as vulnerable, largely due to their age. 

To date, reveals the document, 741 calls have been made out of a list of about 900. 

Of those, 79 have been marked as ‘amber’, signposted or referred to agencies for some additional help, and 19 have been marked as ‘red’ requiring immediate follow-up work. 

All the people on the list will be called at regular intervals throughout the period, assures the document.

“Tenants are in good spirits and are largely well supported by family, friends or neighbours. They have been very glad to receive the call,” it adds.

Registered social landlords operating in Denbighshire have been following the same process.

The document continues: “We have received some information about the Welsh Government’s Shielding scheme and letter. 

“The letter advises the recipients to self-isolate for a period of 12 weeks and make use of local support to ensure they have enough food, drink and medicine for the period. People who do not have that support have been advised to call our Contact Centre.

“The letter has been sent to about 1,300 residents in Denbighshire who have been identified by the NHS as highly vulnerable. This is being followed with a letter being sent to a further circa 1,400 this week. 

“Around 3,000 people will receive these letters overall. We are cross-referencing the lists with our own housing and social services lists to identify who may have already been contacted by us.

“We have started to proactively call all the recipients of the Shielding letter to check on their wellbeing and to signpost them to community support if they require help.”

The briefing goes on: “The Welsh Government has contracted with a company to deliver food boxes and are creating a database for local authorities to complete with information on people to receive these boxes: this is in the process of being set up.

“Meanwhile, we have a team of people who are ready to take calls from people who call us as a result of receiving the letter.

“Both teams (reactive and proactive) have information on local community and third sector services, as well as local shops and businesses that are helping residents. 

“This information is being kept up to date and published on our website: https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/community-and-living/community-planning/community-resources/community-resources.aspx”

The document says a further exercise is being established for the council to engage directly with people who are registered for free school meals through text, e-mail or voice message to landlines.

“We continue to publish safeguarding messages through our usual channels, including information about scams that have been identified by Trading Standards,” says the briefing. 

“In addition we have published a briefing note to councillors and city, town and community councils on mitigating financial security risks. This was devised with the help of WCVA and Citizen’s Advice.”

On community volunteering the document says: “We have been working closely with Denbighshire Voluntary Services Council (DVSC) to establish a single portal for registering volunteers and volunteering opportunities in the community. 

“They have published this on their website: https://www.dvsc.co.uk.  All of their resource is now focussed on mobilising and catalysing community action.

“As we have identified community responses we have encouraged them to register with DVSC to enable a coordinated approach in supporting people in need in communities across the county.”

On communications the document says that apart from the council’s own website, which has links to many other agencies such as the Welsh Government, the authority is actively engaging with local Facebook page administrators, 20 of whom are now receiving twice weekly newsletters with the latest information that has been published. 

Members of the council’s democratic services team are regularly contacting all county councillors by phone. 

They are signposting them to the latest information and also gathering local intelligence which is being fed through to the local resources spreadsheet, explains the document.

Small Business Grants available for Llangollen traders

Llangollen county councillor Graham Timms (pictured) says he is concerned that some small businesses in town are not aware of the grants that are available to help them survive the current crisis. 

He explained: “Many of Llangollen's businesses are eligible for grant support.  

“I am concerned because businesses desperately need help to survive the next few months as they provide essential services for locals and tourists, and employment for our residents.

“The application process is simple and Denbighshire County Council is administering these grants on behalf of the Welsh Government.”

He added: “There are two different grant schemes for small businesses. 

“Anyone who has business premises with a rateable value of £12,000 or less can apply for a grant of £10,000 to help them to survive during the current crisis. 

“Alternatively, if your rateable value is between £12,001 and £25,000 and you are in retail, leisure or hospitality you can apply for a £25,000 grant to support your business. 

“If you think that you might be eligible for either grant, details and online application is on the Denbighshire County Council website: 

https://www.denbighshire.gov.uk/en/resident/community-and-living/coronavirus/coronavirus.aspx

“Support for many other sectors, including the self employed are have also been announced. The latest information can be found here: https://businesswales.gov.wales/financial-support-and-grants”

Meanwhile, a list of business support available during the coronavirus outbreak has been compiled by Denbighshire County Council.

It has collated all government schemes, such as business rate relief and business grants, as well as support from other organisations.

Cllr Hugh Evans OBE, Leader of Denbighshire County Council, said: “During this worrying time for businesses we wanted to provide them with one point of contact to find out about what is available.

“I would encourage all Denbighshire businesses to check this information and see what support they are eligible for.

“Our Economic and Business Development Team is continuing to support local businesses by signposting and finding information, sharing the latest information on social media and via our mailing list. We would encourage businesses to contact the team to sign up and get information sent to them directly.”

Support available includes business grants, business rate relief, the job retention scheme, support for the self-employed and the economic resilience fund, all provided by the UK or Welsh governments.

* For information on support visit www.denbighshire.gov.uk/business-support and to sign up to our mailing list for businesses contact econ.dev@denbighshire.gov.uk or 01824 706896.

Local coronavirus update - Thursday

* A picture which appeared on Facebook from Betsi Cadwaladr health board of its new temporary hospital at Venue Cymru, which was recently renamed Ysbyty Enfys (Rainbow Hospital) Llandudno, lit up to symbolise hope amidst the uncertainty of the COVID-19 crisis.

As First Minister Mark Drakeford confirmed yesterday that the lockdown in Wales will be extended and not be lifted next week, Cat Meade, cor-ordinator of Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group gave her latest update on Facebook.

She said: “Thank you for your continued support with the GoFund raiser, we have now managed to obtain gloves, masks, sanitisers and visors for our volunteers, they will be distributed in the next few days.

“The fund also assists with shopping funds, admin costs and much more.

“We are planning for the long haul, as we are all unsure when this may end, please keep supporting.

“Big Thank you to our resident Chef Steve The Swan Inn, Pontfadog. A batch of veg lasagne and more soup made this week? Steve has taken the challenge with every bit of food we can give him to make hearty meals. Thanks Steve.

“Don’t forget to get your #Lightupllangollen Light Saber from the newsagents Castle Street ready for 8pm tomorrow (Thursday), £4 each with every sale £1 donated to the Support Group.

“Join us on Llangollen Raffles tomorrow at 11am with a chance to win a few Sabers #shoplocal

“The #llangollenfamily t-shirts are selling that well. The guys over at #infintitee are having to restock, let’s give these guys a big 👏👏 for supporting and in turn we are supporting again a local business #llangollenfamily

“And please, give a huge THANK YOU  to Dee Valley Produce these guys have been AMAZING  these last 3 weeks, working their hardest, lots of long days by all the team to get supplies to you all.

“I am proud to live in this community, and what a community we have, these current circumstances make us all reflect, I hope you are all proud to be a member of this amazing town.”

Cat Meade shared a post yesterday from David Pinel who runs IT-Pro Support in the town, who said: “Myself and my team have been exceptionally busy over the last few weeks helping our support clients adjust to remote working, we’ve also had to be quick to learn and implement our own remote practices.

“Now that things are settling down a bit for us I’d like to offer our expertise to other local small businesses. Every Tuesday and Thursday we will run a free 1 hour 1-2-1 technology review, we can discuss what issues you’re currently facing with remote working, collaboration or communication and will advise on solutions that you can implement.

“Due to the time constraints we can only offer this to small businesses with less than 10 office based employees.

“If you would like to book a slot please email me directly on david@itprosupport.co.uk or phone our office on 01978 869182.”

Help group volunteer Mike Connolly posted on Facebook yesterday: “PRESCRIPTIONS - For those over 70 or self-isolating on medical advice there is a daily prescription collection by the Rotary Club. 

“Please request by 3.30pm Mon - Fri and 11am Sat, for delivery same day.  The Pharmacy is CLOSED on Fri/Sun/Mon this week. Please call or text Sheena on 0759 201 8533 with your name, address and contact number if you require meds to be collected.”

Llangollen Railway yesterday renewed its appeal via Facebook for cash to help it survive the lockdown. 

This currently stands at £5,662 and donations can be made at:

https://llangollenrailway.charitycheckout.co.uk/cf/covid-19-appeal?fbclid=IwAR0FG-epvCDVzEBn0fw-5eeWB1sa1UjF74NkmA7UJCSWuJuevakAvs1511U

St Collen’s took to Facebook yesterday to provide details of its Easter weekend services, which are:

“Holy Week & Easter - Live-streaming services

“Maundy Thursday: Mass of the Lord’s Supper with stripping of the altar, 18:30

“Good Friday: Readings and Music, 14:30

“Holy Saturday: Service of Light with singing of Exsultet, 21:00 (all invited to put a lighted candle by your window)

“Easter Day: Mass, 11:00.”

Stories of interest from outside Llangollen

* The team manning the new Dementia Hub. 

A Dementia Hub has been launched at Ysbyty Gwynedd to enable staff to provide support to those living with the condition during the outbreak of COVID-19.

The service will operate seven days a week from the hospital by the Dementia Team.

Dementia Nurse Practitioner, Delyth Thomas, said she was delighted they could offer this service to ensure they can provide support for those living with dementia during these unprecedented times.

She said: “This is a very worrying time for people living with dementia and also their carers, family and friends.

“The dementia team here in Ysbyty Gwynedd would like to reassure you that we will try our very best to support you during this very difficult time.

“In order for us to achieve this we have set up a temporary bilingual Dementia Hub to provide support over the phone.

“The seven day service will be open between 8.30am and 4.30pm, if we need to be out of office for any reason, please do leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can. You can also leave us a message outside of these opening hours and we will get back to you.”

The team are also working alongside Alzheimer’s UK and Carer’s Outreach who are able to offer support to families and carers.To contact the Dementia Hub for more information call 01248 384384 and ask for extension 4041.

During yesterday the organisation Vets Now used Facebook to “de-bunk” suggestions that cats can spread coronavirus to humans.

The post said: “Please read, digest, and share. There remains NO evidence that pets can spread coronavirus to humans.”

Chancellor announces £750 million for UK charities

The chancellor promises to "do whatever it takes", adding: "I am striving every day to keep that promise."

He says a huge part of that is charities.

"There are over 170,000 charities [and] we will not be able to match every pound of funding they would have received this year," says Rishi Sunak.

But, he announces a new £750m pot of cash for frontline charities across the UK - including hospices and charities helping domestic abuse victims.

Mr Sunak says £360m will be directly allocated by government departments, while £370m will go to smaller charities, including through a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund, and £60m of that will go to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The chancellor also promises to match donations to the National Emergencies Trust as part of the BBC’s Big Night In fundraiser later this month "pound for pound", with a minimum pledge of £20m.

He adds: "Charities teach us the lesson that the simplest acts have the potential to change lives.

"At this time, when many are hurting, tired and confined, we need the gentleness of charities in our lives.

"It gives us hope, makes us stronger and reminds us we depend on each other."

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Public Health Wales daily update - Wednesday

Public Health Wales statement on Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

This statement will be updated daily at 2pm

Updated: 2:00pm Wednesday 8 April

Dr Robin Howe, Incident Director for the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak response at Public Health Wales, said:

“284 new cases have tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Wales, bringing the total number of confirmed cases to 4,073, although the true number of cases is likely to be higher. 

“For operational reasons, we are moving the point at which we count new cases of Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) back from 7pm to 1pm.  Case numbers on Thursday will therefore be lower than usual, and will return to normal on Friday.

“33 further deaths have been reported to us of people who had tested positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), taking the number of deaths in Wales to 245.

“We offer our condolences to families and friends affected, and we ask those reporting on the situation to respect patient confidentiality.

“Public Health Wales has conducted more than 15,000 tests for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) on more than 13,000 individuals since the start of this outbreak.

“All available data relating to Coronavirus in Wales is now available on a new user-friendly data dashboard, which is available on the Public Health Wales website.

“As part of our efforts to continually expand testing, there is now a Deloitte testing facility operational at Cardiff City Stadium. This is part of the UK-wide plan to test key workers. In Wales this has been led by Public Health Wales, Welsh Government, the Local Resilience Forum, and Deloitte. Please note that the facility is for key workers and you should only attend if invited.

“Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now circulating in every part of Wales.  The single most important action we can all take in fighting Coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS, and save lives.

“We want to thank each and every person across Wales for doing their bit to help slow the spread of the virus. 

“We know that staying at home can be hard especially when the weather is nice, but members of the public must adhere to social distancing rules about staying at home, and away from others, introduced by the UK and Welsh Government.  These rules are available on the Public Health Wales website.

“People no longer need to contact NHS 111 if they think they may have contracted Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).  Information about the symptoms to look out for is available on the Public Health Wales website, or members of the public can use the NHS Wales symptom checker.

“Anyone with a suspected coronavirus illness should not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.  They should only contact NHS 111 if they feel they cannot cope with their symptoms at home, their condition gets worse, or their symptoms do not get better after seven days.

“Only call 999 if you are experiencing a life-threatening emergency, do not call 999 just because you are on hold to 111.  We appreciate that 111 lines are busy, but you will get through after a wait.

“The public play a very important role in slowing the spread of infection. By strictly following the latest measures, you will protect yourself, protect the most vulnerable and help to reduce the pressure on NHS Wales and minimise the impact of the virus.”

Challenge launched by county leisure to support frontline workers

As part of their ongoing support for NHS and front-line workers Denbighshire Leisure have launched a seven day rainbow themed health and wellbeing challenge for families during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Following government advice to #stayathome, Denbighshire Leisure are hoping to bring positivity into people’s homes with a 7 day health and wellbeing campaign for the whole family to join in, created by one of their fitness instructors.        

All over the UK people are showing their support for NHS and front line workers by creating rainbow images and placing them in a prominent position in their homes. The rainbows are symbolic as the sun emerging from a rainy sky and these images have served as a reminder for people to stay positive during the covid-19 pandemic.

Denbighshire Leisure fitness instructor Kara created the challenge, she explained: “As instructors we have been speaking as a group about the mental health and wellbeing of our members since the start of this pandemic and we have been putting together workouts, challenges and tips on social media to interact, however wanted to take it that step further and follow the trail of hope. I have family in the NHS, so I wanted to give something back, it was a no brainer. The children were making Rainbows in support of the NHS stay safe campaign and I just thought it would be a great opportunity to turn this into a health and wellbeing challenge. I can’t wait to see the children and families of Denbighshire taking part!”

Denbighshire Leisure are also lighting up Rhyl Pavilion and 1891 restaurant and Rhyl Sky Tower every Thursday evening at 8pm to honour NHS and health care workers on the front line during this world-wide crisis.

Jamie Groves, Managing Director of Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, said: “Many of our staff have family in the NHS and front line services and we thought it was only right to honour them and thank them for their hard work by lighting up Rhyl Pavilion and Sky Tower in blue. While this is only a small gesture compared to the amazing work they are undertaking, we hope this goes some way to show that we are right behind them and cannot thank them enough.”

Bobby Feeley, Lead cabinet member for well-being at Denbighshire County Council: “This is a lovely way to recognise all of the hard work that staff in the NHS, Social Care and all frontline services are doing every day. This gestures is to show our thanks and appreciation for those workers who are putting others before themselves. We hope everyone stays safe during this uncertain time.”