This update includes what to expect when visiting and using some of our council services:
- Brown bin collections temporarily suspended from Monday, 2 August 2021
- Covid-19 case rates in Stoke-on-Trent and public health guidance
- COVID-19 testing
- COVID-19 vaccinations
Brown bin collections temporarily suspended from Monday, 2 August 2021
Unfortunately while a number of our staff self-isolate in line with public heath guidance, staffing shortages have caused some delays to our waste and recycling services.
In order to minimise any further disruption we’ve had to make the difficult decision to suspend garden waste collections for one week from Monday 2 August 2021. This suspension will impact residents due a kerbside garden waste collection between Monday 2 August 2021 and Friday 6 August 2021.
Residents affected during this period are requested to present their garden waste bins for collection on the next scheduled collection day during the week commencing Monday, 16 August 2021.
Councillor Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “Our waste and recycling team have been incredibly adaptive despite the challenges they’ve faced throughout the whole of the COVID-19 pandemic. They deserve huge credit for their dedication and hard-work, as do our staff who have been redeployed to unfamiliar services areas. Although we are a huge organisation with a number of service areas, we are one huge team and we are always working together to continue to provide services for our residents.
“Unfortunately, staffing shortages have recently caused some delays to our waste and recycling services. In order to minimise any further disruption, we have made the difficult decision to suspend the garden waste kerbside collection service and redirect available resources into the statutory household refuse and recycling collections.
“This decision has not been taken lightly, and we know that many residents are using their gardens at the moment and generating garden waste, but the shortage of drivers and refuse loaders means we, like many other local authorities, are simply unable to provide this service as normal. We are doing everything we can to minimise the impact on residents and all available staff are also being redeployed to the waste and recycling service to ensure we can continue to prioritise statutory collections – we will continue to provide both residual (grey bin) and recycling (blue bin) collections. These should be presented as usual.
“We’d like to thank residents for their patience and to our staff for their continued hard work during this challenging time.”
Residents can use their grey bins for overflow garden waste if required for the following acceptable brown bin items: Grass cuttings, weeds, garden plant waste (remove excess soil), small branches, hedge trimmings, food waste, bones, tea bags, and coffee grounds.
The following brown bin items are not accepted in grey bins: Soil, compost and rubble.
The latest impacted waste collections will be posted on the city council’s website via https://www.stoke.gov.uk/info/20002/rubbish_and_recycling and on its social media accounts.
The city council’s Household Waste Recycling Centres remain open and will accept garden waste.
Brown bin collections in the following wards are affected
- Abbey Hulton and Townsend
- Baddeley, Milton and Norton
- Eaton Park
- Burslem Central
- Birches Head and Central Forest Park
- Etruria and Hanley
- Hanley Park and Shelton
- Moorcroft
- Sneyd Green
- Joiners Square
- Ford Green and Smallthorne
- Burslem Park
- Little Chell and Stanfield
- Bradeley and Chell Heath
- Great Chell and Packmoor
- Goldenhill and Sandyford
- Tunstall
Covid-19 case rates in Stoke-on-Trent and public health guidance
The seven-day rate of coronavirus cases in the city is 362.7 per 100,000 people, for the week 18 July – 24 July 2021. This is a 42.3 per cent decrease on the previous seven days. The positivity rate or the percentage of people who have had a test and tested positive is 10.3 per cent.
This continues to be really exceptional progress and demonstrates the protective effect of the vaccine and that many local people are still choosing to protect themselves as well as getting tested twice a week.
Cases are widespread across the city, but hotspot areas are: Bentilee and Ubberley.
Our cases are still high, which is expected as more people are out and about across the country, and the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted. We can all help to drive our rates down by continuing to follow the public health advice and to keep regularly testing ourselves. However, the best way of all that we can help to protect ourselves and others around us is to get vaccinated and encourage all our family, friends and colleagues to do the same if they are eligible. The vaccine does not eliminate completely the chance of getting Covid but it does offer a huge protective effect by reducing at least eight-fold your chance of catching it, the severity of illness if you do get it, the chance of having to go into hospital if you do and ultimately the risk of dying.
Although restrictions have been lifted, we cannot stress enough the important of continuing to take measures such as testing for COVID-19 at least twice a week and recording the results, wearing a face covering in crowded places such as public transport, washing or sanitising your hands regularly and keeping a one-metre distance from others.
Public health guidance
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 defences against the spread of the virus.
We recognise that these are very personal choices and therefore we encourage all residents to make the best decision for themselves and their loved ones.
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 amount of time it takes to sing ‘Happy Birthday’). You can also use hand sanitisers while you’re out and about.
- Face – Wear a face covering in crowded places, such as while using pubic transport, unless you are medically exempt.
- Space – Keep a one-metre distance from people you are not meeting with.
- 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 peoples’ homes – will help stop it from spreading.
COVID-19 testing
Our pop-up testing centres offer lateral flow tests where people who don’t have symptoms of COVID-19 can get a test which gives results in just over 30 minutes. No appointment is needed for these testing centres and anybody who isn’t showing COVID-19 symptoms is welcome. You can also pick up home testing kits.
Our teams were out again at Longton Park on Tuesday, and the details for next week are:
Date: Tuesday, 3 August 2021
Time: 11am – 3pm
Location: Burslem Park
Home testing kits
Everyone in England can access free lateral flow tests. 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 you follow the instructions in your test kit to ensure that the result is as accurate as possible, and that 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 lateral flow test (LFT) at our community venues.
Book a Covid-19 test
It’s so important 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, and are unable to book one using the national system, you can alternatively request PCR home delivery.
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 Synectics Solutions.
PCR tests are available in the city at SCFC, Fenton Manor Car Park and Synectics 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.
COVID-19 vaccinations
All adults aged 18 + in England can now book their COVID-19 vaccine. Please book yours as soon as possible by going to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/
Walk-in clinics
More information on the latest walk in vaccination clinics across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire can be found via https://www.twbstaffsandstoke.org.uk/coronavirus/covid-19-vaccination/where-can-i-get-my-vaccination-from/community-vaccination-sites/walk-in-vaccination-clinics