News

People are being urged to think carefully before considering travelling to a beach this weekend and to check it is open and safe to visit.

Following the unprecedented Agreement reached on 26 March between the Fire Service National Employers, National Fire Chiefs Council and Fire Brigades Union, it has today been agreed to add a further three areas of work to reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required. Firefighters will be able to: Assist in taking samples for COVID-19 antigen testing Drive ambulance transport not on blue-lights (excluding known COVID-19 patients) to outpatient appointments or to receive urgent care Provide driving Instruction by FRS driver trainers to deliver training

For the first time, all three stakeholder groups have agreed a joint national approach to the crisis. The fire service organisations say that the measures in the agreement reflect the scale of the national crisis and the urgency of the response required. Under the agreement, firefighters will be able to:  Deliver essential items like food and medicines to vulnerable people Drive ambulances and assist ambulance staff Retrieve dead bodies, should the outbreak cause mass casualties Firefighters will continue responding to core emergencies, such as fires and road traffic collisions, but

Retired care workers being asked to return to work could help support those most at risk of the coronavirus outbreak and provide a much-needed boost to an already over-stretched social care workforce, say council leaders.

“It is great news that gyms and leisure centres can reopen, and many people will be hugely excited about being able to safely visit them again."

“Councils are working tirelessly to protect and help those who are most vulnerable during this pandemic."

“Council are leading local efforts to protect communities from coronavirus and will be central to the nation's recovery. We are pleased the Government has announced measures today to allow councils to help the country transition to the new way we will need to travel around, including to and from work."

“Councils need adequate resources and funding certainty to not only cope with this immediate coronavirus crisis but to continue providing other vital public health services for the long term."

“As the focus shifts from hospitals to social care we need to do all we can to shield people in care homes and those receiving care in their own homes."

“Councils have a unique understanding of their communities and are ideally placed with the skills, knowledge and experience on the ground to help ramp up the level of testing and contact tracing necessary to defeat this disease."