Our infection rate as measured by the number of new infections recorded over a seven day period is back in the white zone. For the seven days to 4 Apr 21 it was below 3 again having been 3 or 4 for most of the week. Statisticians and public health professionals will no doubt continue to assure us that this sort of fluctuation is nothing to worry about but a reminder that we need to remain cautious and to follow the rules: hands, face and space.

Monday is the big re-open. All the shops on the High Street and elsewhere will be open. Most of our pubs, restaurants and cafés will also be open for ambient trade. As long as you sit in the garden you can eat and drink what you like. You may be cold but at least you can enjoy the company of up to five others.

However as we enjoy such new found freedom please:

• Follow the house rules. Pubs etc must confirm to strict Covid guidelines and that’s why they impose rules about what we must do in order to enjoy their hospitality. Don’t question their rules, just enjoy the beer.
• Don’t flaunt your jabs. Just because you’ve had one or both vaccinations doesn’t guarantee that you’re immune. You must continue to follow the basic rules: you may still catch Covid (albeit less seriously) and you may still be a transmission risk.
• Be tolerant, and mindful, of others. Relaxing the rules is not compulsory and some may choose not to. Respect them. Continue to observe hands, face and space and give others confidence that you understand how they might feel.

The businesses that are choosing not to open have told us that they will open in the next weeks.

There’s been much reporting of the impact of lock down on people’s mental well-being. This may become apparent over the next weeks so please let’s all be mindful of our neighbours and colleagues, friends and family. We’ve said it before: if you sense someone’s a bit down, feeling glum or unnecessarily anxious give them a chance to talk about it. If you’re unsure about how you might do that maybe refer them to the Worry Tree Café at www.hifriends.org.uk.

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Our infection rate as measured by the number of new infections recorded over a seven day period continues to be low but we are still seeing a new infection being reported on most days. For the seven days to 27 Mar 21 it was back up to 5 again having been down below 3 on previous days. Statisticians and public health professionals will no doubt assure us that this sort of fluctuation is nothing to worry about but the continuing drip drip must remind us that we need to remain cautious and to follow the rules.

Schools have now broken up for the Easter holidays and it’s good news that they have not been enablers of increased transmission of infection.

Mid-week there was a reminder that warmer weather is on the way but we’re back to a decidedly chilly Easter weekend. However as long as we wrap up warm there are opportunities for leisure activity:

• At National Trust properties. Anglesey Abbey, Wicken Fen, Wimpole etc are all open but for some you need to book a slot. Their web-sites carry useful information.
• Cambridge’s museums are all closed but remember that Cambridge itself is one big outdoor museum and at the moment there are no tourists to share it with

12 Apr 21 will see much more activity and it’s great to hear that our pubs, restaurants and cafes are planning to reopen for outdoor service and that non-essential shops will also be open for business. Gyms will also be reopening. The Parish Council want to support this as much as possible and is keen to hear from these businesses with ideas about how it might help. Please contact Yvonne Murray at the Parish Council on 01223 237173.

In the meantime perhaps we’re all excited to see the hoardings coming down at the School Hill development and to note that the end unit looks as though it’s been designed to allow it to be fitted out as a café. And come May it’ll be good to see the Indian Ocean back as a restaurant.

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Our infection rate as measured by the number of new infections recorded over a seven day period appears to be stable. For the seven days to 20 Mar 21 it was back below 3 again having been up to 3 and 4 in the previous days. Statisticians and public health professionals will no doubt assure us that this sort of fluctuation is nothing to worry about. We’re in the right zone!

Schools have been back for three weeks and although two infections have been reported it’s understood that neither relate to students from Histon & Impington.

However this good news notwithstanding it’s important to recognise that we are still in the very early days of relaxing the lock down, there will be a first relaxation on Monday, and there are still rules to follow. Tempting though it might be please do not second guess them. The basics of hands, face and space should continue to be observed.

On Monday we take a significant step forward:

• The rule of 6 for meetings outside returns but please remember that the social distancing rule still applies. So if you’re standing in a circle that means a diameter of about 4m;
• The bonus is that two households of whatever size can also meet;
• Organised sport will be allowed and the Histon Hornets will be training and playing its first matches; and
• To support the activity on the Rec the public toilets will be reopened!

The big step 2 on 12 Apr 21 will see much more activity and it’s great to hear that our pubs, restaurants and cafes are planning to reopen for outdoor service and that non-essential shops will also be open for business. The Parish Council want to support this as much as possible and is keen to hear from these businesses with ideas about how it might help. Please contact Yvonne Murray at the Parish Council on 01223 237173.

In the meantime thanks again to all those take away businesses which have provided such service. We note how the recent freedom to sit and enjoy a take away coffee together in twos has made the deck overlooking the small lake in Vision Park a popular leisure destination!

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

After a few days in the white zone our infection rate has crept up again first to 3 and then yesterday to 4. That’s not in itself a problem because at those levels the indicator is very sensitive with just one new infection every day or so. But it does mean that a sequence of one infection days can give the impression that it’s getting bad again. We’re a long way away from where we were at the beginning of the year.

Schools have been back for two weeks and so far there’s no news of any infections at our local schools. Fingers crossed that it stays that way until half term which is just two weeks away.

However this good news notwithstanding it’s important to recognise that we are still in the very early days of relaxing the lock down and there are still rules to follow. Tempting though it might be please do not second guess them. The basics of hands, face and space should continue to be observed.

Although many of us have already had our first jabs, and some have just had their second, now is not the time to be bold. Because controlling infection is not just about individual protection but also about minimising transmission we should continue to observe basics like:

• Only meet in groups of two. You can go as far as sitting down and having a coffee together but it’s still just two until 29 Mar 21 at the earliest.
• Shop alone. Don’t go in pairs (or more) to the supermarket, that just increases the risk of transmission. Remember it’s not just about you but others as well.
• Don’t meet up indoors. That seems to be a freedom that we must forego for some time yet. The guidance talks of 17 May 21 (subject to review).

The Parish Council is considering what it might do to support our High Street and other businesses as they emerge from lockdown. It’s keen to hear from them with ideas about how it might help. Please contact the Parish Council on 01223 237173.

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Now that’s much better. Our seven day cumulative new infection rate has slowly declined and we’ve just gone into the white zone on the NHS map. That means less than three new infections in the week to 6 Mar 21. This is the sort of infection level which can make us confident about moving slowly out of lockdown over the next weeks.

It’s good news coming just one year from the early days of the first lock down last year. It was 16 Mar 20 when Johnson said ‘now is the time for everyone to stop non-essential contact and travel. That didn’t work and we entered the first lockdown 23 Mar 20.

But … schools have gone back this week and we are warned that this risks a flare up but that will only happen if pupils take an infection into schools. To state the obvious: schools themselves don’t cause infection, they enable it to be transmitted. It’s important therefor for us to do two things:

• Continue to practice good Covid behaviour so that we minimise transmission in the community. Remember the rules that continue to apply: hands, face and space; and
• Support the testing regimes for students going to school. It’s important to keep infection out of the schools so please make it easy for them to do this.

We are all getting out more with a little Spring weather and we are now allowed to sit down and enjoy a coffee (or tea) and more with one other. Sadly that’s still about it. No large groups, no relaxation of hands, face and space and no meeting up indoors. Please continue to respect these rules, we’ve come so far we should not risk the gains we’ve made.

The vaccination program has clearly gone well and we are told that those who have had their first jabs will be called for their second 10 weeks afterwards. That means notifications should begin to arrive 31 Mar 21 for those who got their first jabs in Milton.

The rest of the NHS is now doing its best to catch up with its non-Covid work and people who have a need for its services should please make contact. A little patience may be needed on the phone but our GPs and other parts of the NHS do want to hear from you. Give them a call.

The next important date is 29 Mar 21 when the ‘rule of six’ for outdoor meetings will return, outdoor sports facilities will reopen and organised outdoor sport can restart. The Parish Council will be opening the Rec and Histon Hornets will be playing its first games.

The Covid19 response team continues to meet and monitor the data and this confirms that we seem to be in good shape, at least for the present.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Our cumulative seven day infection rate has been down in the low single figures for several days now. It has been as low as 3 but it’s drifted back up and in the seven days to 28 Feb 21 it was back up to 6. We need to continue to be very careful.

We expect that the first wave of priority vaccinations has now taken place. That makes those of us who have had a vaccination a little more confident but may we caution such people to continue to observe the lockdown rules of hands, face and space. You may be more resistant to the virus but it is not yet proven that you may not act as a carrier.

The rules on meeting up will relax a tad 8 Mar 21 when you can sit down and enjoy a coffee (or tea) and more with one other so it’s good to note that in addition to the already announced takeaway offers its good to also note:

• Burgers (07448 232638) is selling super burgers from its van in the Boot carpark 1100-2000 Mon-Sat.
• The Railway Vue is offering a limited, but varied, take away menu (details on Facebook)
• Cool Beans is taking its mobile coffee service around the community (details on Facebook)

8 Mar 21 is of course the big date when schools start to reopen. Our schools do a super job but implementing the new testing regime presents them with challenges which they never thought they’d have expected to face so let’s all do our best to make it easy for them. The rules might be irksome but please do your best to follow them.

For those out there who are running but feel they need a little more purpose than simply getting exercise Histon Hobblers (Jan Watt and Natasha Lott) and HI Runners (Neil Marsh) are running (sic) teams with collective distance targets (have we got to Paris yet?)

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Good news about Covid has been a bit like London buses this week. You wait for one and then there’s three.

First we’ve had the excellent vaccine performance with Firs House etc now well into the next level of vaccinations. Then we had Johnson’s roadmap and some real visibility of when we might be able to do a little more. And finally the local infection stats are way down to just 6 over the 7 days up to 19 Feb 21. We’re once more well below the national average. Well done everyone!

There’s good reason for a little cautious optimism and the warmer weather and visibility of more spring flowers this week certainly help but it’s still important to remember the basic principles of hands, face and space. We’ve done so well now’s not the time to risk the progress that’s been made.

Our community is showing signs of waking up and the recently reinstated regular food trucks at the King Bill add a little extra variety to our takeaway options. There’s also a beer delivery option on Fridays. Check out www.kingbillhiston.co.uk for specifics.

The rules on meeting up will relax a tad 8 Mar 21 when you can sit down and enjoy a coffee (or tea) and more with one other so it’s good to note that:

• The Geographer is opening its doors again Wed 3 Mar; and
• D:licious will be reopening its take away service Mon 8 Mar. You can pre-order your food on 01223 568339 to have it ready on your arrival.

There’s more information about both outlets on Facebook.

8 Mar 21 is of course the big date when schools start to reopen. Our schools do a super job but implementing the new testing regime presents them with challenges which they never thought they’d have expected to face so let’s all do our best to make it easy for them. The rules might be irksome but please do your best to follow them.

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

‘What a difference a day makes’ or in this case a few days. The latest Histon & Impington and Orchard Park cumulative infections total over the 7 days to 8 Feb 21 is 21. Given that it’s recently been as high as 80 that seems pretty good but please note:

• It’s still higher than the England average (just); and
• It’s way higher than it was in September last year when it was less than 3.

We can all probably understand what’s been going on and we’ve been victim to the unexpected wave of the ‘Kent virus’ and the coincident rather optimistic and premature relaxation of the rules before Xmas along with a couple of isolated outbreaks in local institutions. As the latter have passed through the system and we’ve all tightened up our Covid compliant behaviour we’ve seen the recent improvement. We can all take credit for that.

We can’t impact the national picture of course but what might we do locally to get our numbers down further? The excellent vaccination program will help of course, thank you Firs House, but what can we all do beyond simply following the rules? Here’s a few ideas:

• Always take a face covering with you when you leave home and put it on whenever you’re in continued proximity with others, like standing in a queue;
• If you’re out with children take wipes with you. Who knows when you might get diverted to one of our playgrounds
• Make space for others when you pass them but take care and only step out into the road if you’ve looked first. If you ‘walk to the left’ then you’ll have sight of oncoming traffic; and
• Reinforce positive behaviour. If you’re transacting with someone who’s wearing a face covering then wear one as well. It’s respect.

There’s something else we can all do. Stay alert for others who might be lonely, staying indoors or seeming morose. Make contact: offer companionship, ring the doorbell or just say hello. We pride ourselves on our village ethos, let’s practice this with an inviting openness towards our fellow residents.

The Covid19 response team continues to monitor the data which it’s getting and this indicates that our community is coping rather well, we’re looking after each other and demand for exceptional help and support appears to be minimal. However it is aware that problems might be hidden and encourages us all to stay alert and look out for each other.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

Our infection rate stays stubbornly high and they’ve been back up to 80 again. That’s 80 new infections recorded in a 7 day period. Today the latest number is 54 for the 7 days up until 25 Jan 21. And from what we understand that’s largely north of the A14.

The current rate is 446.6 per 10 thousand people and is well above the national average. South Cambs is at 208.7 and we are the only ward with such a high number.

These are not numbers with which we can be comfortable bearing in mind that last summer we never recorded more that 3 new infections in a 7 day period.

We’ve had some reassurance from Public Health that what we are seeing does not constitute an outbreak but relates to just two very local spikes which might be expected to pass through the system in time. We also note that in the last week no new infections have been reported from any of our schools, neither north nor south of the A14.

However this is not a time to be complacent and we would encourage everyone to regard the COVID rules as a minimum. We should not simply regard them as guidelines which we might interpret to maximise our own personal freedoms. There ‘s been a relevant article in the weekend’s papers which is worth reading. Go to http://bit.ly/3j66mfl to take a look.

Fortunately the vaccine news is good and we understand that Firs House is now ahead of the curve in vaccinating the top 4 priority groups. They are active in Over and Milton and after the challenges of the first day very efficient operations now seem to be in place. Well done! But: if you’ve had your jab please continue to observe COVID rules. You may still transmit the virus.

Our high street is continuing to serve us well and you’ve got to be impressed by the way that it is operating. The shops are of course complemented by the fish van that operates from the Barley Mow carpark on Wednesdays. And it’s good to see the Red Lion in business selling pizzas at the weekend to complement the other takeaways in the community. We thank all of you for your contributions to making our lives bearable. In return let’s please be rigorous in observing COVID rules within the stores, at the takeaways and when we’re queueing for access to them

Times are still tough but we’re starting to emerge from the winter, we’ve had a couple of warmer days and there’s a little more daylight, and the bigger picture of vaccine approvals and worldwide infections is positive. But we’ve got to be patient and to observe the rules for just a little longer.

The COVID response team continues to be active and the data which it is collecting and the input which it’s getting from the street coordinator network reinforces the messages from Public Health noted above. If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.

At the time of the last digest just before Xmas we were noting the rapid rise of the cumulative seven day infection rate in Histon & Impington to 17. Today we can note that it’s come down from a high of 80 to 55. The situation got worse very quickly, it’ll take some time for it to get better again and we’ve got to show lots of patience.

Sadly the death rate has also gone up and in the last seven days five people have died of Covid in South Cambs. However this itself is down from a peak of 14.

Fortunately the vaccine news is good with slots now being offered to people in the top four priority categories. We can expect the pressures on the NHS to lessen but that will still take time.

It will be some time before there can be any significant relaxation of the lockdown rules and in the meantime it’s essential that we all show patience and observe the rules. These allow us to get out into the fresh air and that’s a good thing but if we’re with someone from another household please remember that the 2m rule still applies.

Please remember ‘hands, face and space’. And do a little more if you think that’s right.

The HICovid19 response team continues to meet weekly, the network of street coordinators is alert and is responding when extra support is needed. And there are specific lines of support for prescriptions, food, transport and mental well-being. Well done and thank you to all of you who continue to provide support to family, friends and neighbours. To re-emphasise the support which is available to the community a card is being delivered with a comprehensive list of contacts for specific issues.

At the moment there’s a limit to what can happen on the High Street but we continue to note the excellent services being offered by our food stores, pharmacies and take-aways. Please continue to give them your custom but remember to follow the rules: hands, face and space!

Finally: HI Friends (hifriends.org.uk) is active helping people and families with mental well-being:

• There’s a virtual drop in for parents of pre-school and early years primary school children
• An online support course ‘Dealing with anxiety during Covid’ for parents will run Mondays 1 and 8 Feb 21 at 7.30pm.

Register for these with emma@hifriends.org.uk. There’s more information about them and other HI Friends initiatives on the HI Friends website.

If anyone does need any help for any reason they should contact their street co-ordinator or call the HICOVID19 helpline on 01223 320420.

Click here for a pdf of this digest.