Llangollen Health Centre is currently in the middle of its largest Covid-19 vaccination exercise to date.
Today an expected 600 people in the 70-79 age group will have turned up for their jabs at the rate of 80 an hour, with a similar number due tomorrow (Sunday).
Staff and volunteers have been working flat out inside the centre while the Llangollen Tidy Town Team are once again taking care of traffic management in the two busy car parks.
Llangollen Health Centre has this afternoon posted another update on Covid Vaccinations, which says:
The Welsh Government is urging businesses to ensure they are registered for financial support to help them deal with the ongoing impacts of coronavirus.
Last month, the Government announced an additional £200m package to help firms through to
the end of March. This takes the Welsh Government’s business support package
from the December to March period to £650m.
The financial
package is predominantly for businesses that pay non-domestic rates and have
been forced to close or operate differently as a result of coronavirus restrictions.
As businesses need
to have registered with their local authorities in October or later in order to
receive the payments, the Welsh Government is urging firms that have not yet
done so to take action now so they do not miss out.
Under the support
package, eligible businesses with a rates value of less than £12,000, such as a
small hairdressers or florists, would be entitled to receive £6,000 for the
December to March period.
Firms with a
rateable value below £150,000, for example a clothes shop, a restaurant or a
gym, would be entitled to £10,000 for the same period of time. The money is to
help cover costs like rent, utilities and insurance.
This funding is on
top of support from the Welsh Government’s £180m sector specific fund for
tourism, tourism and hospitality businesses which received more than 8,000
applications before closing, as planned, on 29 January. It is also in addition
to income support offered by the UK Government such as the Job Retention Scheme
and Self Employment Income Support Scheme.
Businesses that
have received a payment via their local authority since the firebreak in
October do not need to take further action.
However, the Welsh
Government estimates that there are thousands of eligible businesses that might
not yet have registered for this support.
Economy Minister
Ken Skates said: “Welsh Government support continues to be crucial in
protecting businesses and jobs throughout Wales.
“Since the
beginning of the pandemic, we have ensured more than £1.75 billion has reached
the banks accounts of businesses to help them deal with the ongoing economic
impact of coronavirus.
“Eligible firms
that pay non-domestic rates and have registered with their local authority
since the firebreak in October should receive further support automatically so
do not need to take further action. However, we know that too many firms have
not yet registered. I urge those business owners to take action now so they can
receive what they are entitled to.
“This money will
be absolutely vital in helping firms up and down the country through these
incredibly challenging times. We do not want any business to miss out or go
under because of inaction so if you pay non-domestic rates but have not
registered with your local authority since before the firebreak in October
please do so now.”
* Businesses who have not registered with their local authorities since the firebreak in October should visit the Business Wales website for more information on doing so - https://businesswales.gov.wales/coronavirus-advice/restrictions-business-fund-local-authorities
Each day during lockdown the Llangollen Coronavirus Help Group started by Cat Meade and her friends has been providing lunch and dinner for 13 people who aren’t able to prepare food for themselves.
To keep this vital service going the group has raised
funds through regular raffles on its own Facebook page and there has also been
strong support from Llangollen Rotary Club and Llangollen Inner Wheel’s Moira
Gleed and Angela Jefferies along with Cat’s own mum.
Further support has come from local businesses Dee Pizza,
Kelly’s Chippy, Llangollen Pizza & Kebab and Simran Shah at Aydan’s
Tandoori.
Cat says that to keep the meals coming the group is still
in need of supplies such as drinks, pot noodles, porridge pots, crisps, snacks,
hot chocolate, tea, coffee and cups of soups.
She said: “If you would like to donate a bag of chips etc
from an eatery or supply goods, If you can help we have set up a drop off point
with Stephen Brady at Recollections Ltd on Abbey Road, next to the Bridge End. If
you have an extra portion of food we can use or freeze, or if you can donate a
£1 or anything you can via paypal at catmeade@hotmail.co.uk where I shop weekly
at Aldi for goods.”
* Cat has also taken to Facebook to say a big thank you to
her employers who have not only allowed her to use their office resources since
the pandemic began but have also contributed thousands of pounds towards the
work of the help group.
She posted: “As you all know I started this page along with Bethan Mascarenhas some 10 months ago.
“I have had a lot of help along the way from Admins to Volunteers, created Llangollen Raffles to fundraise and assist local businesses which has also bought a bit of fun to our community in the process.
“You may also know by now that I have a full-time job running the
Llangollen Wingetts branch for sales, lettings and commercial of which has been
a very demanding year.
“I am very lucky to have a job that I love but also that has remained in full swing during the pandemic for which I am extremely grateful.
“What you may not know that behind me I have two amazing directors in Emma Hayward and Leigh Hayward who own Wingetts.
“From day one I published our office number as a helpline, I published leaflets from the office printer, donated in our competition for NHS drawings which we displayed in our Llangollen office with £1,000 to Air Ambulance and gave prize to winner, staff have gifted donations and goods, supported local fundraisers and donated to all causes.
“I have always loved my job and proud to be part of the Wingetts family What you don’t see is that Wingetts as a business has contributed over £5,000 during these past 10 months to Llangollen and my fundraising appeals.
“We are family and we are #llangollenfamily we support one another. I just wanted to say a big thank you to Wingetts Ltd Wrexham & Llangollen for supporting me and Llangollen.”
* A number of potholes on the bridge have now been given attention.
The county said the pothole situation on Castle Street is to be kept under review after it carried out repairs to some of the cavities in the roadway.As a result a council spokesperson said an officer would be sent to inspect the holes to see if they were a safety hazard.
On Monday of this week llanblogger revealed how a number of the deepest holes had been filled in - sparking a flurry of comments about the quality of the repairs.
On Tuesday workmen were back to give attention to the remaining holes.
Possibly the deepest of all the holes on the bridge has now been filled along with a number of others further along the street.
A council spokesperson said yesterday: “Work has been carried out to make some repairs on Castle Street and we will continue to monitor the condition of the highway for any further safety works needed.”
llanblogger will also keep the situation under review.
Llangollen Health Centre has just put out its latest message about Covid vaccinations on social media.
It says: "Our team have been doing a sterling job contacting all our patients who are in the next two priority groups for the Covid vaccine - those aged 70 - 79 and those on the official shielding list.
"We have over 1,300 patients in these groups and so far we have contacted 969 patients. Thanks to the team for working so hard on this over the past few days.
A Llangollen resident is asking the area's two county councillors to consider temporarily closing parking areas in a local beaut spots to prevent their use by lockdown rule-breakers.
On Tuesday llanblogger highlighted the story about Clwyd West Senedd Member Darren Millar and two Denbighshire County Councillors, Martyn Holland and Huw Williams, who were asking for lay-bys on the main A494 to be temporarily closed.
They were concerned that people are parking in them to access nearby fields to go walking and sledging during lockdown, despite Welsh Government Covid rules stating that people should not travel for exercise.
A concerned local resident has now written to Llangollen county councillors Graham Timms and Melvyn Mile asking them to consider similar measures in this area.
In his email to them, he says: "Having read the article in llanblogger, I just want to let you know of an issue up on the Panorama.
"I was up there yesterday afternoon on my mountain bike, exercising from home back to home in accordance with the current Welsh Covid Regulations.
"I was disappointed therefore to see cars parked in informal parking spaces as you go from by the castle along as far the junctions at the top of Garth.
"Some people are clearly breaching the regulations and disregarding public safety in relation to the pandemic which is very regrettable. I saw about nine vehicles including a chap who was getting a drone out of the boot of his car to fly in this beautiful location.
"You therefore might like to consider asking for these lay-bys to be closed similarly to the request of your fellow councillors in Denbighshire.
"I would also mention that there was considerable rubbish dumped in the parking space as you come up the hill from the Sun Trevor, turn right and the informal parking area is on the left at the top of a rise."
