Yesterday (19 July), we reached the final stage of the Government’s roadmap to easing lockdown. The health and wellbeing and safety of our staff, customers and our residents is our top priority and therefore although lockdown restrictions have officially been lifted, a number of covid-secure measures will remain in place across services. This update includes what to expect when visiting and using some of our council services:
- Leisure services
- Museums
- Bereavement care services
- Libraries
- General guidance for customers and visitors
- Waste collection update
- COVID-19 testing – pop up testing centres this week
- COVID-19 vaccinations – walk in vaccination centres
- Thank you
Leisure services
Our leisure centres and services will have in place the following measures:
- We advise that our customers, unless exempt, wear face coverings until they get to their activity area and to respect other customers need for space.
- We recommend you continue to pre-book swimming activities and our health spa facilities up to seven days in advance of your visit due to the limited spaces available to ensure your continued enjoyment of these sessions. This is subject to normal programme times and opening hours. Pre-booking of gym use will end from 26 July to enable all sessions booked for week commencing 19 July to be honoured.
- Social distancing in our centres and activities will reflect the nature of the activity you are taking part in and our programming will be updated to reflect the availability of additional space
- The NHS Track and Trace QR code will be displayed at entrance points and we encourage customers and members to check in on each visit.
- We will be keeping one way systems in appropriate areas, where this does not impinge on your access and enjoyment.
- We will keep the perspex screens at our reception points.
- Hand sanitiser will still be available throughout the centre for your use.
- We will provide individual spray bottles and blue roll for you to use throughout your visits.
- We would prefer to take contactless payments, where possible, rather than cash
- We continue to clean all high use areas on a regular basis.
- The signage and floor markings will be removed and revised to support the above changes.
- Spectators will be allowed for swimming lessons and gymnastics classes subject to normal conditions.
- All of our lockers, changing areas, and showers will be reopened and you will no longer be allocated a specific locker orchanging cubicle, where applicable.
Our food and beverage offer including alcoholic drinks will be available from our café bars at Fenton Manor and Dimensions.
We ask anyone who feels unwell with COVID-19 symptoms not attend our leisure centres and to self-isolate and take a PCR test and isolate until they get their results, after which they should follow government guidance.
We ask that anyone who has been identified by Track and Trace and / or the NHS App to self-isolate as per government legislation.
Memberships
We will continue to offer our members the global use of our facilities at no extra cost until further notice. Our membership prices will return to their normal prices on 15 August, as per above, no extra charge will be levied for global usage.
To keep up to date, you can also download the Active Stoke app via Active Stoke app | Active Stoke app | Stoke-on-Trent and you can sign up to our sport and leisure e-bulletin via Stoke-on-Trent City Council (govdelivery.com)
Please remember that we do have an ever growing bank of classes on line that can be accessed via our ActiveStoke app or directly through YouTube.
As the details of the government’s relaxation of measures and the subsequent guidance from national governing bodies of specific sports and industry guidelines will follow, the above is subject to changes and will be reviewed on a regular basis.
Museums
Our museums – Gladstone Pottery Museum and The Potteries Museum and Art Gallery – will have in place the following measures:
- Restrictions on the number of people visiting our museums will return to pre-covid levels. However, pre booking a museum visit is strongly advised so that we can ensure our customers are given the best possible visitor experience.
- The NHS Track and Trace QR code will be displayed at entrance points and we encourage customers and members to check in on each visit.
- We will be retaining one way system in appropriate areas, including the self-guided tour at Gladstone Pottery Museum.
- Perspex screens will be kept at reception points.
- Hand sanitiser will still be available throughout the centre for your use.
- We would prefer to take contactless payments, where possible, rather than cash.
- We continue to clean all high use areas on a regular basis.
- We will be continuing to keep our spaces well ventilated.
The requirement to wear face coverings in law will be lifted. However, the Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas such as public transport. We would still request that where possible you wear a face covering, especially in some of the more restricted areas within our museums.
To protect other customers and our staff we ask that anyone who feels unwell with COVID-19 symptoms to not attend our museums, and to take a PCR test and self-isolate, until they get their results, after which they should follow government guidance. We ask that anyone who has been identified by Track and Trace and / or the NHS App to self-isolate as per government legislation.
The above measures will continue to be reviewed in light of new guidance published by the Government and national governing bodies. We highly recommend you visit the museums websites before planning your visit.
Opening times
Gladstone Pottery Museum
The museum and shop are open Tuesdays to Saturdays 10am – 5pm and the Gladstone café is open Tuesdays to Saturdays 11am – 4pm.
Pre-book your visit by calling 01782 237777. If the phone line is engaged you’ll be diverted to the answerphone so please leave a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.
The museum shop and café welcome non-museum visitors and there is no need to book to use these facilities.
The shop will be continuing to provide a Click and Collect and mail order service which has proved very popular with both local visitors and those further afield.
We will continue to add to the additional resources on our website where visitors can engage with behind the scenes blogs, videos, learning resources, puzzles and art challenges.
For more information please see the Gladstone Pottery Museum website or call 01782 237777.
The Potteries Museum & Art Gallery
The museum is currently closed as teams work hard on the creation of the site’s incredible new Spitfire Gallery, which is due to open later this year. In order to complete this stunning addition to the site and some necessary improvements, the museum has closed for around six weeks from Tuesday, June 29.
This short-term closure will help to bring huge long-term benefits to the museum, visitors and tourism in Stoke-on-Trent, as we welcome the return of our iconic Spitfire and some fabulous new displays later in the year. The café is also being updated with a more modern look to reflect the adjacent Spitfire gallery.
If you have any questions, please visit The Potteries Museum& Art Gallery website or call 01782 232323.
Bereavement care services
The following changes and measures will be in place in bereavement care settings including Carmountside Cemetery & Crematorium:
- The number of mourners attending funeral services at Carmountside Chapel will return to pre-lockdown numbers, which is approximately 140 seated. When all seats are taken, to re-introduce the use of external speakers on larger funerals. The option of live video streaming will revert back to the fee of £40 with the full easing numbers attending funerals.
- The reception at Carmountside will re-open fully, and we encourage that those using the services continue to pre-book an appointment to ensure you can be served promptly.
- Mourners will be able to sing hymns should they wish to.
- The hand sanitiser and the NHS Track and Trace QR code located outside the chapel will remain in place and mourners are encouraged to continue to use them to support NHS Test & Trace.
- The requirement to wear face coverings in law will be lifted. However, the Government expects and recommends that people wear face coverings in crowded areas. We would still encourage mourners to wear a face covering, especially at larger funerals, however as stated it is not mandatory.
To protect other mourners and our staff we ask that anyone who feels unwell with COVID-19 symptoms to not attend a funeral and take a PCR test and isolate until they get their results, after which they should follow Government guidance.
We ask that anyone who has been identified by Track and Trace and / or the NHS app to self-isolate as per government legislation.
Libraries
Our libraries will have in place the following measures
- Signage advising of COVID-19 public health advice, such as advising not to enter if you have symptoms and advice on hand washing will be in the libraries.
- Perspex screens will remain in place.
- Hand sanitiser will be available for use.
- Libraries will be ventilated.
- Pre-booking systems where applicable will still be in place for our most popular activities, although walk ins will still be accommodated where possible.
- QR Track and Trace codes will be available for checking in.
- Public toilets will reopen.
- Use of face coverings will be encouraged for staff and customers – we would strongly advise people that they might like to wear a mask and socially distance at certain times – such as during busy periods, and when in enclosed indoor space, for example sitting side by side or accessing one-to-one IT support. However, all staff and visitors are encouraged to wear face coverings and to socially distance if they wish to whenever and wherever they like.
- There will no longer be limits on browsing time and all PCs will be back in use. Our popular Click, Call and Collect Service will remain to make life easier for those that need it too.
There are now no restrictions on activities and events we can offer and we will be bringing back our popular activities over the coming weeks and lots more exciting activities to support the Summer Reading Challenge, more information about these and all our library services can be found on the Stoke-on-Trent Libraries website.
General guidance for customers and visitors
Although measures such as social distancing and wearing face coverings are not mandatory now, it doesn’t mean that we still can’t use them. Choosing to follow the guidance and continuing to wear a face covering, and also getting regular COVID-19 tests, and your vaccine when you are called, are our best protections against the spread of the virus.
To protect other customers and our staff we ask that anyone who feels unwell with COVID-19 symptoms to not attend our museums and book a PCR test and self-isolate until they get their results, after which they should follow government guidance. We ask that anyone who has been identified by Track and Trace and / or the NHS App to self-isolate as per government legislation.
Everybody is still encouraged to test themselves for COVID-19 at least twice a week. More details on accessing tests are available in this update.
The vaccination is our best defence against COVID-19. Everybody in England over the age of 18 can now book their jabs. More information is available in this updated.
The above measures will continue to be reviewed in light of new guidance published by the Government and national governing bodies.
Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air – these are simple measures we can take to help stop the spread of COVID-19. Following these will also help to drive down the city’s case rates:
- Hands – wash your hands regularly with warm water soap for at least 20 seconds (the length of time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’ twice). You can also use hand sanitisers while you’re out and about.
- Face – Wear a face covering in indoor public places, unless you are medically exempt.
- Space – Keep at least a one-metre distance from people you are not meeting with – government guidance means that you can choose to have close contact with friends and family, but it’s important you distance yourselves from other people in public places.
- Fresh Air – Meet up with others outside where you can or if you are inside, make sure the rooms are well ventilated, for example, open a window. Fresh air is known to lower the risk of transmitting COVID-19.
COVID-19 is passed through close contact, so practising Hands, Face, Space and Fresh Air wherever you can- including in your own and other people’s homes – will help stop it from spreading.
COVID-19 testing
Everyone in England can access free lateral flow tests (LFT). The kits are quick to use from home, and give results in 30 minutes. One in three people with coronavirus don’t show symptoms, so the tests are really important in helping to quickly spot positive cases and squash any outbreaks. Testing twice a week should now be a normal part of our lives, even if you have had the vaccination you can still spread the virus, and there are still lots of people who have not yet had their jab.
It’s also really important that your test results are registered online or over the phone – whether your result is positive, negative or a void result. If testing at home, residents will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if positive and order a confirmatory PCR test within 48 hours of a positive LFT.
You can order lateral flow testing kits to use at home via any of the following routes:
Community Collect
Home testing kits are available to collect from a number of venues across the city. Our staff are trained and on hand to help you and they are available to answer any questions or concerns you may have and to talk you through how to use these tests. You can find out more details about the community collect venues which offer this via https://www.stoke.gov.uk/communitycollect
Pharmacy collection:
58 pharmacies across the city offer home testing kits. You can find out where you can collect them from via a map on the NHS website. Click here to find out more.
Ordering tests online:
If you cannot collect a home test kit from a community testing site or pharmacy, you can order them online by clicking here.
If you have one of the three main symptoms then you are not eligible for lateral flow testing. You should instead book a test through https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test, or by calling 119.
Please also remember that confirmatory PCR tests for positive lateral flow tests have been reintroduced. It is really important that everyone has a confirmatory PCR test within 48 hours maximum of a positive LFT at our community venues.
Book a Covid-19 test
It is important that we all get tested regularly for coronavirus– at least twice a week. There are different ways that are convenient for you to access tests. Every test we take helps ensure we are protecting are families, friends, colleagues and communities. If we want lockdown restrictions to continue to ease, we must keep testing twice a week and follow the guidance.
You will still be able to book tests at our community testing centres and there are still plenty of slots available. A full list of community locations and booking options and a range of locations, dates and times for the week ahead the are available on our website via www.stoke.gov.uk/bookacovid19test.
PCR tests
If you are symptomatic or need a confirmatory PCR test for a positive lateral flow test can book through the national system. People who need a Covid PCR test are being advised to keep checking the national portal – after high demand is limiting tests currently available across the UK.
New slots are added to the national portal throughout the day, but people can also book a home PCR test online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
If you require an urgent test you do have the option of a walk-up (unbooked) test at Fenton Manor Car Park or Synetics Solutions.
PCR tests are available in the city at Stoke City FC South Car Park, Fenton Manor Car Park and Synetics Solution and can be booked by going to Coronavirus (COVID-19) – NHS (www.nhs.uk) or by phoning 119.
Please remember to stop the spread of Covid-19 it is important to self-isolate immediately when you start to feel unwell with Covid-19 symptoms.
Waste collection update
We are currently experiencing a disruption in our waste collections, while staff self-isolate in line with public health guidance in response to the coronavirus.
We are asking residents to leave out their bins and we will collect as soon as possible – collections may need to take place on a Saturday.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
COVID-19 pop up testing centres this week
Our next pop up testing centres will be:
Dates: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Time: 10am – 3pm
Location: The Potteries Centre. Via the lower entrance outside T.K.Maxx. In the previous Art Shop unit, near the escalator
Dates: Wednesday, 21 July 2021
Time: 11am – 4pm
Location: Westport Lake, by the Green Door Charity Building next to the car park
Anybody who isn’t showing COVID-19 symptoms is welcome, and you can also pick up home testing kits. No appointment is needed.
COVID-19 vaccinations
Walk-in vaccination clinics
The next walk-in vaccination centre in Stoke-on-Trent will be:
Date: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Time: 2pm – 4.30pm
Location: Prima Care Surgeries, Hanley health Centre, Upper Huntbach Street, ST1 2BN
For: Pfizer, first and second doses
For the latest updates on walk-in vaccination centres in Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire, please visit https://www.twbstaffsandstoke.org.uk/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccination/where-can-i-get-my-vaccination-from/community-vaccination-sites/walk-in-vaccination-clinics
Booking a vaccination
Anybody in England over the age of 18 is eligible to book their COVID-19 vaccination here: Book or manage your coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk)
Thank you
We’d like to say a huge thank you to our residents, our customers and visitors and our staff for their unwavering support throughout the pandemic. From the gym-goers who got involved with our lockdown virtual exercise classes to our staff who were redeployed from their roles to support COVID-19 response work. We are delighted to safely welcome back visitors as we approach the next phase in our road to recovery from this terrible virus.