COVID-19 NEWCIS Statement
NEWCIS wants to ensure that we can support carers through the imminent difficulties that Coronavirus is currently causing. Although the NEWCIS offices will close from Friday 20th March 2020 to support the prevention of the infection spreading, the staff will be working from home and will be contactable via their mobiles, emails and the website.
NEWCIS will be operating a “Keep In Touch” telephone service for carers who may need to speak to someone about their situation. We will be working with the local authorities in Denbighshire, Flintshire and Wrexham to support carers and vulnerable people in our communities. All NEWCIS events, groups and drop ins are cancelled until further notice.
Public Health Wales Statement
“The public has a crucial role to play in containing the spread of the virus, and we are encouraging people to wash their hands more often, and for 20 seconds. Use soap and water or a hand sanitiser when you get home or into work, blow your nose, sneeze or cough, eat or handle food. This advice will help you to protect yourself and others.” We should also carry tissues to prevent the spread of the virus.
For the most up to date information and guidance go to the Public Health Wales website.
Carers UK Guidance For Carers
- Follow core public health advice
- Ensure carers, people with care and support needs and people coming into the home of a person with care needs should follow hygiene and infection control guidelines
- Plan for contingencies and check with the local authority what the emergency plan is, or your local health organisation if your families’ or friends’ care is health funded
- Make the most of networks now, family, friends and neighbours, and your local community organisations to plan for ‘what if’
- Make sure you have key information to hand about the person you care for
- Make the most of technology that can keep you in touch with the person for whom you care, or keep them in touch with others.
More guidance here.
Government Guidance on Social Distancing
The guidance advises on social distancing measures we should all be taking to reduce social interaction between people in order to reduce the transmission of coronavirus (COVID-19). It is intended for use in situations where people are living in their own homes, with or without additional support from friends, family and carers.
Read full guidance here.
General Guidance for Carers
Everyone should follow the latest guidance on self-isolation and social distancing above and as published here.
Vulnerable people should distance themselves where possible as following:
- If you live alone and you have symptoms of coronavirus illness (COVID-19), however mild, stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms started. (See ending isolation section above for more information)
- If you live with others and you or one of them have symptoms of coronavirus, then all household members must stay at home and not leave the house for 14 days. The 14-day period starts from the day when the first person in the house became ill
- It is likely that people living within a household will infect each other or be infected already. Staying at home for 14 days will greatly reduce the overall amount of infection the household could pass on to others in the community
- For anyone in the household who starts displaying symptoms, they need to stay at home for 7 days from when the symptoms appeared, regardless of what day they are on in the original 14 day isolation period.