It’s nothing to worry about but the infection rate in Histon and Impington has been back up to three before returning to the white zone. That’s a total of less than three new infections over a seven day period and that last such period was up to and including 18 May 21. Across South Cambs the rate remains low and we’re just seeing odd infections here and there with wards moving in and out of the white zone.

Elsewhere the situation is of course largely good but with some cause for concern because of the ‘Indian variant’ which seems to have established a position in Bedford. This rather suggests that we should not visit it for the time being not so much because of the risk of contracting Covid per se but of bringing the strain into our community.

The Indian variant notwithstanding and whether or not the next phase of release from lock down is delayed you’ve got to believe that we are getting on top of the pandemic nationally. With Covid cases in hospitals way down, high levels of vaccination and readily available testing the indicators continue to be positive. At least the pressure is now largely off the NHS for which we can be thankful.

Our GP surgeries have served us well. They have continued to be accessible and they have run the vaccination program incredibly well. However we need to be mindful of the pressures under which they continue to operate so:

• Please do not add to their workload by calling for help with ailments which you really should treat yourself. Remember that GP time is a scarce resource and we should not waste it; and
• Please be patient as they continue to roll out the vaccination program. It may be frustrating to have to wait but trying to jump the queue doesn’t help anybody.

Most important though: if you are in contact with our surgeries be nice to them!

Lots of us have now self-administered a ‘lateral flow test’. Kits are freely available at pharmacies and it’s worth having a box to hand and doing a test if you are about to participate in a large gathering and/or have just been to one. It’s not compulsory but it’s not a bad idea.

The Covid response team has met and continues to monitor the needs of the community. 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.

The infection rate in Histon and Impington has been ‘white’ for several days now. Neighbouring villages are also white and the overall rate for South Cambs has gone down enough that on the NHS map it’s now showing as yellow. That’s all round good news which rather suggests that we can enter the next phase of the release of lockdown with some, albeit cautious, confidence.

Next Monday (17 May 21) sees us entering this next phase and the headline changes which are most relevant for us are:

• people will be able to meet indoors in groups of up to six or as two households, or outdoors in groups of up to 30 people;
• pubs, cafes and restaurants will be able to serve people indoors but social distancing rules continue to apply and it’s still table service only. If you do use these businesses please obey their rules. They are there for a purpose!
• adult sport and exercise classes can resume indoors; and
• pupils will no longer be expected to wear face coverings in classrooms. Twice weekly home testing will remain in place.

Note that although the rules on hugging and social distancing have to some extent been relaxed and are left to individual discretion it is still compulsory to wear a face covering when in shops and in many other indoor circumstances.

Our businesses continue to respond. The King Bill is reopening (for outside service this Wednesday, 12 May 21) and the Histon Smokehouse (aka the Urban Shed) will reopen on Tuesday. We will have to wait a little longer for the Indian Ocean which is redecorating although it is still offering a takeaway service.

So it’s all good news then but we do need to be wary. It’s often the case when restrictions are eased that developing problems become manifest. It’s accepted that there’s been a build-up of mental health issues within the population and this will not go away just because lockdown is easing.

The fact that many of us will be so visibly normal and appreciative of the new rules may make it harder for others to cope. They may have suffered under lockdown and see no prospect of improvement. We all need to recognise this phenomenon and be sensitive to the needs of those friends, colleagues and neighbours who might remain ‘in a bad place’.

The Covid response team has not met but continues to monitor the needs of the community. 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.

The good news is that the group of four infections which Histon & Impington recorded a week ago has now slipped out of the calculation of our infection rate. It now stands at 3 and in terms of the infection per 100,000 inhabitants it’s now at about the same level as South Cambs in total.

The bad news is that the infection rate in Cambridge has gone up quite a bit and this even merited an item on Anglia News the other night. The Director of Public Health explained it in terms of increased social contact and if you’ve been into the City recently you can understand what she means. With the fine weather and the opportunity to visit ‘non-essential’ shops people have turned out in numbers and this has had an impact.

We can’t affect what others do of course but we can do our best to ensure that our community is protected. That means being wary about going into Cambridge and consciously avoiding busy shops and the like and observing the basic rules wherever we are: hands, face and space!

Local behaviour is largely very good and it’s a pleasure to be able to enjoy our local pubs and non-essential shops again. Our pubs are doing a great job in serving us outside, even though it’s still a little on the cold side, and we thank them for it. We note that although the King Bill is not yet open it’s nonetheless supporting several food stalls during the week and that the Urban Shed is gearing itself to reopen as the Histon Smokehouse in May.

It’s worth reminding ourselves, and repeating what we’ve said before:

• 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.

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.

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.