Snow starts to fall on Sunday morning

Snow has just started to fall across the town and the forecast for the rest of Sunday is for more of the same.

Denbighshire residents thanked for lockdown efforts

Residents in Denbighshire are being thanked for following coronavirus regulations during the current lockdown.

Cases of coronavirus in Denbighshire are still high due to the new variant which is more transmittable, but numbers are starting to fall.

In the week ending Jan 17 there were 266 new cases in the county, with the main setting for transmission being within households, and the number of positive cases per 100,000 people was 362 (between January 7 and 13).

Cllr Mark Young, Denbighshire County Council’s Lead Member for Planning, Public Protection and Safer Communities, is urging residents to remain vigilant to help reduce the spread of the virus, protect their families and reduce the strain on the NHS.

He said: “Since the new year we have seen high levels of coronavirus cases across all ages in our communities but the impact of lockdown is starting to see these figures stabilise. This is due to a huge effort from our residents who are following guidance and continuing to do their part to keep the most vulnerable members of our communities safe. On behalf of the Council I would like to thank residents for their efforts.

“However, with the new variant we are seeing an increase in household transmission and it is important we continue to follow the rules from Welsh Government during Alert level 4.

“This includes following social distancing rules, working from home if you can, to stay at home and not to travel without reasonable excuse.

“The vaccine offers us hope for the future but it is important those who have had the first dose continue to follow the rules as they can still catch and spread the virus without showing severe symptoms.

“Those working with the vulnerable and in healthcare setting who have had the vaccine need to continue to wear PPE after their first dose.”

Latest Citizens Advice column

Latest column from Denbighshire Citizens Advice is:

Q: I’ve fallen behind on my bills and the debts are building up, and there’s Christmas on top of this. I don’t know where to start? 

A: You’ve already taken a great first step by asking for help, and it’s important to know you don’t need to face this alone. You can contact your nearest Citizens Advice for help.

In the meantime here are four steps you can take to get started:

1. Work out how much you owe - Make a list of whom you owe money to and add up how much you need to pay each month. If you don’t have your most recent statements, contact your creditor to find out what you owe. Some creditors will have special arrangements for people with Covid-related arrears.
2. Prioritise your debts - Your rent or mortgage, energy and council tax are called priority debts as there can be serious consequences if you don’t pay them. Separate these and work out how much you owe. Again, you can ask the companies or council what support might be available during the pandemic.
3. Work out how much you can pay - Create a budget by adding up your essential living costs, such as food and housing, and taking these away from your income. The Citizens Advice budgeting tool can help.
   Any money you have spare can be put towards your debts, starting with the priority debts first.

If you have any money left after paying priority debts, but not enough to make your usual payments on other debts, consider getting advice on the best way for you to start getting on top of them. Or contact your creditors and offer them what you can afford to pay.

4. If you can’t pay your debts - If you’ve got little or no money spare to pay your priority debts seek advice from Citizens Advice straight away. If you’re struggling to pay for basics like food, seek help immediately to see what support might be available to you. If you can’t pay off other debts, such as credit cards and loans, it would also be worth contacting your nearest Citizens Advice.

We know it can feel very daunting to deal with debt, but having a plan really helps and our team will be here to help you each step of the way.

Hundreds of over-80s have Covid-19 jabs at Llan Health Centre

* People turn up for their Covid-19 jabs at the health centre.

* Traffic management is taken care of by Llangollen Tidy Town Team.

As part of the Welsh Government's policy of spreading the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine to GP practices, Llangollen Health Centre held a busy vaccination session today.

The centre was aiming to give the inoculation to around 350 people in the over-80 age group from 10am this morning until 2pm this afternoon.

Despite the wintry weather, which came complete with flurries of snow, a steady stream of people turned up for their jabs by prior appointment.

Once again traffic management on the centre's two car parks was taken care of by the volunteers of Llangollen Tidy Town Team under the direction of David Davies.

Cat's heartwarming story of Llan community spirit

Llangollen Coronavirus Support group founder Cat Meade has told a heart-warming story which shows the town's strong sense of community spirit.

Yesterday evening she posted on the group's Facebook page: "I went to Aldi to get some bits for those we are helping, bulking up on cup of soups, pot noodles, snack and drinks. 

"While going through the checkout the lady asked why I was buying such foods, I explained for those we are supporting with maybe only a kettle for various reasons, she asked what she could do to help.

"So I explained we have a collection point on Abbey Road, Recollections Ltd, should anyone be able to help. As I pulled out my card to pay she swiped the machine with a card from her phone, oh I thought 'staff discount' thanks! No!! she said, 'I want to pay for this shop to help.'

"This resulted in both of us in tears.

"What a wonderful person. She was touched by our conversation and wanted to help! Amazing kind hearted gesture Tracy Griffin.

"Always happy when you see her in Aldi, a credit to the shop, one of our own, once again helping.

"I am overwhelmed daily by the community care and spirit we have here in Llangollen. This past week YOU have provided all housing needs to 2 families, supported others with clothes and helped donate to this very important need of food and drinks.

"What a fantastic bunch you all are, my heart-warming thanks to each and every one of you.

"A BIG shout of THANKS to Kelly's Chippy, Dee Pizza, Adyan's Tandoori Restaurant and Llangollen  Pizza & Kebab who have all donated hot food this week."

GP practices join fight to roll out Covid vaccinations

GPs in rural communities, including Denbighshire, are joining forces to set up community vaccination centres to help vaccinate more people closer to home.

This weekend three centres being run by a collaboration of GP practices will open allowing the Pfizer vaccination to be used at a local level as well as the Oxford AstraZeneca.

Previously, the Pfizer vaccine had to be used in Wales’ special mass vaccination centres due to the ultra-low temperatures it needs to be stored at.

The community vaccination centres have been set up by health boards as part of the Welsh Government’s covid-19 vaccination roll-out strategy with the first three located on the Llŷn Peninsula, in Denbighshire and North Bridgend.

The new centres will initially help with vaccinating people over 80 and those with mobility issues in rural communities. It is anticipated around 3,000 people will be vaccinated at the three centres this weekend.

Health Minister Vaughan Gething said: “Vaccination is our top priority so I want to thank all the GP practices right across Wales that are working in unison to set up these new community vaccination centres.

"This enables GPs to use both of the vaccines available to us and will help more people to be vaccinated somewhere that is much closer to home than the large vaccination centres.

“Every week, our vaccination programme speeds up as more centres are opened and more vaccines are available for the small army of healthcare professionals administering vaccines.

“I’d encourage any other GP practices in our rural communities who could work together to get in touch with their health board."

He added: “Seeing the dedication, the selflessness and the tireless work that these communities are undertaking to protect the most vulnerable in our society is truly inspiring. I want to thank all our amazing healthcare professionals and all those working in the NHS in delivering our vaccine rollout.”

New Llangollen Covid testing centre open this morning

* Staff prepare to open the new centre on Market Street car park this morning.

The new Covid-19 testing centre on Llangollen's Market Street car park is due to open this morning (Friday).

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said on its social media yesterday it was opening the walk-in and drive-in centre to make it easier for people in the area to get tested closer to home.

It will open from 9.30am until 3.30pm, seven days a week.

No appointment is needed - anybody needing a test is invited to attend.

The testing unit located in Denbigh is now closed.