NEWS

Please be aware that the scammers are now focussing on Coronavirus.

There are a number of scams claiming to offer free data packs or routes to treatment. These will download a virus to your PC or phone. BEWARE, the common sense rules apply. Don’t click on links or download PDFs etc unless you are 100% sure of the content. Remember, scammers can clone your mother’s email and send you a message with a virus.

Fraudsters are even knocking on doors offering ‘free temperature checks’ to gain entry to your house

The latest of these scams is an email or text, claiming to be from the government, saying that you have been seen outside, against the Coronavirus rules, and must pay a fine. The message provides a link for you to pay the fine.

THIS IS A SCAM.

First of all, ‘the government’ will never contact you like this. How could they know your email or phone number from having ‘seen you outside’?

If you click on the link and pay, at best you will lose £35, at worst some require bank details and they will empty your account.

If you are fined for breaking Coronavirus restrictions on movement then you will know about it because a Police Officer will directly charge you, face to face. There will be no emails or text messages.

These scammers are the lowest of the low. Don’t fall for the scam and don’t let your neighbours fall for it.

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The following information and advice has been received from Uttlesford District Council regarding waste services:

Bin – waste and recycling collections: Waste collections are continuing as normal at this time. We do have contingency plans in place and will communicate those if/when those plans kick-in.

Bins – garden waste collections: We have suspended our garden waste service.

Bins – missed bins: We are unable to return for any missed bins. You can place any side waste out in bags next to your bin ready for your next scheduled collection. Additional waste placed next to your Green recycling bin must be in clear bags, carrier bags, white bags or cardboard boxes only, as we will not accept black sacks.

Bulky household waste: We will no longer be offering a bulky household waste collection service. This is to minimise non-essential contact and to free up resources to ensure waste (black bin) and recycling (green and brown bin) collections can run as normal.

Replacement bins: We will no longer be able to deliver replacement or additional bins. We will still be delivering bins to new build properties.

Garden waste weekend skip service: We have suspended the garden waste weekend skip service until further notice.

Recycling centres closures

How to get rid of your waste if you are self-isolating or confirmed to have coronavirus

Anyone who asked to self-isolate, either as a precaution or because they are confirmed to have coronavirus, should follow the Love Essex advice to get rid of their household waste to ensure the virus is not spread via personal waste.

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The following message has been received from the surgery:

The Felsted Surgery

Changes to our appointment system to protect patients and our staff. From 16 March 2020, we are cancelling all routine face-to-face GP appointments.

Instead, we will be offering an enhanced telephone service.  All requests for appointments must be made by phone and will be triaged by a clinician over the phone.  If you need to be seen face-to-face, this will be arranged for you.

Video consultations will be launched this coming week, to provide patients with another option to connect with their GP.

What about pre-booked appointments?

If you have a routine appointment booked at the surgery with any clinician, you will be telephoned before your appointment and asked some simple questions to assess if you are well enough to come to the surgery.

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEND THE SURGERY UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN TELEPHONED AND TOLD THAT YOU SHOULD COME IN.

What about new follow up requests?  We will attempt to do most follow ups over the phone.  If a clinician asks you to make a follow up appointment, please book this via Reception as usual, informing them that it is a telephone appointment.  Clearly, not all follow ups can be done over the phone, and if your clinician wants to review you face-to-face, they will inform you – so you can inform the Reception Team.

We need to work together to protect the community and our staff. Patients are still attending the surgery with cold and flu-like symptoms and this is not acceptable at this time.  It puts the health of vulnerable people at risk, and the health of our Surgery Team, who have to support the patients we care for.

We thank all our patients for their support and understanding during these extraordinary times.

Thank You

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Particularly for those people that are self isolating, there is a local wholesale company who can deliver vegetable/fruit or mixed boxes, plus a limited dairy range (milk, butter, eggs etc.), direct to your door.

They are called Donald Freeston Fresh Produce and they currently deliver to Lindsells.

They normally aim to deliver the next day and they are currently offering deliveries to Felsted daily.     Their website is updated and becomes “live” at 9.00am each day.

Clearly at present, demand is high and some items do run out quite quickly so you will need to check their website soon after 9.00am.

Payment is via their Website by normal Card or Paypal etc.

Their website is – www.freestonsdirect.co.uk

The minimum order is £20.   Orders placed on a Saturday will be delivered on the Monday.

The Parish Council has no relationship with this company.

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Please be aware that the Felsted playing field car park is now closed, as are the public toilets, for the duration of the Coronavirus situation.

The allotments will remain open for the foreseeable future.

This is in line with Government advice and the latest Coronavirus regulations.

We will keep you updated with all developments.

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Dear Neighbours

We are trying to share all Coronavirus related news specifically relevant to Felsted and our neighbourhood, here, on the Parish Council website.

To make the process easier you can register for an email alert, rather than having to visit to check for updates. Please visit our News page and subscribe by adding your email in the box on the right hand side.

If you have received this message as an alert, then you are of course already registered.

Please be assured we won’t share your email address with anyone, nor will we send you any SPAM.

Please note that, for clear understandable reasons, the Sunday green waste collection service has been temporarily suspended.

We will keep you updated with developments.

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We have received the following message regarding the status of Flitch Way:

Dear all,

There has been some confusion regarding the closure of the Flitch Way following Essex County Council’s decision to close all country parks from Sunday evening, please find and updated notice below.

“In order to limit the spread of coronavirus, all ECC Country Parks have been closed until further notice. However, the sections of the Flitch Way that are public rights of way ie bridleway will remain open – please use them safely and in line with the government’s advice regarding social distancing.”

Please feel free to copy the above sentence over to your local social media pages and groups or pass them onto someone that can.

Tom Hamilton

Ranger

Great Notley Country Park and the Flitch Way

Culture and Green Spaces

Place and Public Health

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Dear resident,

I have never written to anyone on a more important subject. I would ask that you please take a moment to read this message.

We are facing the biggest challenge of our times. Coronavirus is a killer. If we do nothing, 500,000 people across our great country will die.

But that horrendous outcome will not happen, provided we act.

The Government has issued good advice. But not all of us are following it.

This is not good enough. We MUST heed the advice from Government.

It is simple. And it is in our hands.

STAY HOME. SAVE LIVES.

Across Essex this weekend, we have seen people behaving in a way which was very much like going about their usual business.

I will be blunt. This is not acceptable.

We MUST socially distance.

Even though some schools across Essex will stay open, you should ONLY take your children to them, if you have been notified that you are a critical worker AND if you absolutely have NO other option.

The NHS

If the epidemic peaks, as it has in Italy, which has a world-class health system, the NHS will be overwhelmed.

We must not allow the ‘peak’ of the epidemic to outstrip the NHS’s capacity to care.

Every single one of us can ensure that this nightmare scenario does not happen.

In China, and South Korea, the spread of the virus has been kept in check because Governments have acted quickly enough, and people have followed advice. We must follow suit. Our great County of Essex has always risen to the challenges over the decades. This is the greatest one of our times.

Please, follow the advice. Stay Home. Save Lives. #StayHomeSaveLives

Cllr David Finch, Leader, Essex County Council

Dr Mike Gogarty, Director of Public Health, Essex County Council

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