Newark and Sherwood District Council step up to support covid booster programme

Staff at Newark and Sherwood District Council have stepped up to support the work of the NHS in delivering the covid booster vaccination programme.

Officers from different services across the council have signed up to volunteer their time to support the mass vaccination efforts.

Councillors too have stepped forward in what is be one of the biggest vaccination campaigns ever seen.

Jane Thompson, who usually works at the council looking after tenants, volunteered at Rainworth Medical Centre.

She said: “I had some time to spare and felt it was important to help out where I could. I went over to Rainworth Medical Centre and assisted the staff with the vaccination session. |It went well and the staff were incredibly grateful of the help we had offered to this mass vaccination effort.”

Council leader David Lloyd said: “Staff have gone above and beyond since the pandemic started. From being redeployed to deliver urgent food and medicine deliveries, to supporting local businesses; their resilience and tenacity to just keep going is remarkable.

“And we’ve asked our staff to step up again, and step up they have. They are giving up their usual roles or even their leave, their weekends and their evenings to support our NHS and CCG colleagues and help with our county’s vaccination effort.

“It has to be carefully balanced but this is not the time to shy away from supporting the vaccination programme and we know this is the best chance we have got of suppressing the omicron variant. We will monitor our own workforce daily to ensure our critical services are maintained at all times but, as always throughout this pandemic, we will step up when the ask comes.

“To every resident, please support this vaccination boost, and if you are eligible for a vaccine, get it.”

District council staff have been providing support during the pandemic since it first appeared in the UK. Initially setting up a new Humanitarian Assistance Response team, redeploying officers from all over the council to support hundreds of isolated and vulnerable residents with vital medicine and urgent food deliveries.

It made thousands of wellbeing phone calls, organised a food hub on the stage at the Palace Theatre, paid millions in business grants as well as continuing to deliver their critical services.

Around £50m in grants were paid to local businesses in the Newark and Sherwood area to help them with difficult trading periods when in lockdown or while national/local restrictions were in place.

In more recent weeks, Community Protection Officers have been visiting retailers and hospitality providers to ensure they have all they need given the change in guidance. Licensing staff have been out visiting those venues affected by the introduction of vaccination passports to help them understand their requirements.

All those aged 18 and over are now eligible for a booster jab. To book an appointment, phone 119 or go to the NHS website.

Residents do not need an appointment for walk-in centres.