Community News

Birmingham City Council’s latest general update can be seen here. The dashboard of Covid-19 information for the week ending 30th April has not been published yet so we’ll send a more detailed update in a later newsletter. Birmingham City Council’s brief summary describes the total number of cases across the city as having dropped by 109 compared with the previous week, and having decreased in all ethnic groups and all age-groups, except the 80+ which has remained static at 2 per week.

Cases remain highest in secondary school children and we’re reminded that testing for schools and families remains vital to prevent spread of infection to older age groups.

Our full description of the rules at the current stage of lockdown easing, including details of how to get tested can be seen here, and a poster summarising the rules is here.

Testing is a quick and easy way to make sure you are keeping yourself and others safe, and all asymptomatic adults should now be testing twice per week. As well as picking tests up at local pharmacies, everyone can now order free rapid tests to their home: details are on the government website here.

 

The elections are coming up fast! You can have your say in the elections on Thursday 6th May: Cast your vote for Mayor of the West Midlands, and Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).

The Electoral Commission has worked with Mencap, RNIB, and United Response, on helpful easy-read guides to voting in May’s elections.

Find out more about the candidates for both roles by entering your postcode here.

Type of voting system: Regional Mayors and PCC’s are elected using the Supplementary Vote system. You make a first and second choice when you vote. If no candidate gets more than 50% of the first choice votes, all except the top 2 candidates are eliminated. If your first choice candidate is eliminated, and your second choice is for one of the top 2, your second choice is counted.

Coronavirus Emergency: If you have Covid19 symptoms or need to self isolate, do not visit the polling station. If you’re already registered to vote, you’ll be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote by completing the form here and sending it to the local electoral registration office to arrive by 5pm on Thursday 6th May:

Birmingham City Council

Electoral Registration Officer

Council House

Victoria Square

B1 1BB

Phone: 0121 303 2731

Email: elections@birmingham.gov.uk

Website: www.birmingham.gov.uk/elections

You can also contact the electoral registration team to find out if you’re on the electoral register, and if you already have a postal or proxy vote.

Birmingham City Council’s dashboard of Covid-19 information for the week ending 23rd April can be seen here. Case rates have increased slightly over the past week, possibly due to increased social activity. The rate of testing using PCR, LFD or both has increased. The PCR positivity rate has slightly increased.

Total cases for the week ending 23rd April have increased in the 0-19 and 40-59 age-groups, and cases remain highest in secondary school children. We’re reminded that testing for schools and families remains vital to prevent spread of infection to older age groups.

The average daily Covid admissions to Birmingham’s hospitals remained static this week with around 7 new cases a day. The number of deaths has also remained at around 6 deaths per week. Moseley’s case rate has dropped by a further 50% since the previous fortnight.

All adults who don’t have symptoms should now be testing twice a week using the rapid lateral flow tests. Testing for asymptomatic individuals is now available across the city and you can also order test kits directly from the government for free by post or find a local collection site to pick up tests. Testing is a quick and easy way to make sure you are keeping yourself and others safe.

Most of the identified contacts of cases are still within the same household or household visitors. Spread often happens in the household but it isn’t inevitable, and www.germdefence.org can help.

Our full description of the rules at the current stage of lockdown easing can be seen here, and a poster summarising the rules is here.

 

Reminder: The Bike Project will be collecting unwanted bikes at Kings Heath Farmers market today, Saturday May 1st. The bikes will be given to refugees, or sold to fund the Bike Project’s mission of providing bikes to refugees in need of transport. Please bring your old bikes (both children’s and adult’s) to the Village Square in Kings Heath between 10am and 2pm, and look for their collection point.

The project takes any bike of any size and in any condition as long as the frame isn’t cracked, dented or snapped and there is no more than 25% rust – they love a challenge, but can’t resurrect a write-off!

Any queries please contact: info@thebikeproject.co.uk

or Ruth Tetlow: ruthtetlow@btinternet.com 0121 449 4892

More information about The Bike Project can be seen on their website.