The Council’s priority as stands is protecting the most vulnerable residents our care homes, sheltered, extra care schemes and in general needs blocks where there are large numbers of vulnerable older residents.

We have asked TRAs to assist us with this by putting up posters and supporting us in reassuring residents whilst asking them to take personal responsibility for preventing spread by following public health recommendations that the following general cold and flu precautions are taken to help prevent people from catching and spreading Covid 19.

People are advised to:

•Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze.
•put used tissues in the bin straight away
•wash your hands with soap and water often – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.

We have asked TRAs to assist us with this by putting up posters and supporting us in reassuring residents whilst asking them to take personal responsibility for preventing spread by following public health recommendations that the following general cold and flu precautions are taken to help prevent people from catching and spreading Covid 19.

Public Health England recommends that people wash their hands with soap and water often, and use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available. At this time we don’t have the stock to install hand sanitiser dispensers in our TRA halls and it’s doubtful we would be able to obtain the dispensers nor the sanitizer itself, but we will continue to follow advice from the government.  I would suggest that TRAs running halls should:

– Consider commissioning additional cleaning of toilet and kitchen areas and make sure that soap dispensers are full
– Ask that hall users follow the public health guidance about washing hands when using and departing the hall. If additional posters are needed reps should email housingnews@camden.gov.uk
– Seriously consider whether hall activities should continue at this time.

I would highly recommend that any meetings or events to which elderly or vulnerable residents are likely to be present should be cancelled or suspended at this time. Hampstead DMC was cancelled last night and we will be further recommending that TRAs suspend non-essential large gatherings for the time being.

Please look out for the daily member updates from the director of public health.

Graeme Beedham
Head Of Tenant Participation and SHS – Interim

Telephone: 0207 974 7056