As concerns about Coronavirus start to take hold across the country, already there are visible signs of how worried people in our village are about the untreatable COVID-19 strain – for which none of us has any immunity – reaching Ruddington.
As of this evening (Tuesday 10th March 2020) there are now 373 detected cases in the UK – with five of those being in Nottinghamshire. Over the weekend some Ruddington residents started panic buying items such as toilet rolls and hand wash as a social media induced frenzy indicated there might be shortages – leaving shelves bare at both Ruddington Co-op (below) and Sainsbury’s (top image).
White Horse quizmaster, Howard Greville-Giddings, posted on Twitter: “Ruddington, I’m so disappointed in you.”
Sainsbury’s customer and trading manager, Martin Lowe, says they first got cleared out on Sunday: “It went a bit crazy! We’ve got some more stock in today – and there isn’t really a shortage of anything. The supply chain is fine but, like other supermarkets, we will be putting restrictions on certain lines to make sure we keep sufficient stock in place for customers who actually need it.”
Those restrictions are already in place at Ruddington Co-op, with notices advising shoppers that they’re now limited to three units each of items which some residents seem convinced they need to stockpile!
Meantime, those with friends and relatives at Balmore Country House, Orchard House and St Peter’s Care Homes in Ruddington are being asked to think very carefully whether they really need to visit them at the moment. Paul Hearn, the owner of MyCare, which runs the three residential properties, told RUDDINGTON.info: “After another alarming increase in UK Coronavirus cases over the weekend, we decided we needed to do something quickly to protect our elderly and vulnerable residents, until we know what we’re dealing with. 
So we’re currently asking people to make as few visits as possible – maybe talk to elderly friends and relatives via the telephone or on Skype instead? We’re not stopping people who really want to come in, but we’re putting into place measures like meeting up in the client’s room – as well as providing sanitising hand gel and face masks to try to prevent any possible infection. Some people don’t even realise they’ve got this virus for 14 days!”
Paul added: “We are working one hundred per cent to do what’s right for our residents, to keep them safe. We hope people will understand this, as the virus could be devastating if it got to them.”
The advice to villagers from Ruddington Medical Centre during this COVID-19 “contain” phase is to follow the NHS and Public Health England guidelines – who, it says are “…extremely well prepared for outbreaks of new infectious diseases. The NHS has put in place measures to ensure the safety of all patients and NHS staff while also ensuring services are available to the public as normal.”
NHS 111 has an online Coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do. You should use this service if:
- you think you might have COVID-19 Coronavirus
- in the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of Coronavirus – you can find advice for travellers and a list of high risk countries >>HERE<<.
- you’ve been in close contact with someone with Coronavirus
You’re urged not go to your GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital and, instead, stay indoors and avoid close contact with other people. You can call 111 if you need to speak to someone. Further information and details of how to self-isolate are available at nhs.uk.
UPDATE: 12th MARCH 2020:
The Government has announced the UK is moving into the “delay” phase of the COVID-19 outbreak. This means, if you have a new continuous cough OR a high temperature (37.8 degrees or higher), you should stay at home for at least 7 days from when your symptoms started.
Evans Pharmacy on Charles Street is urging villagers to heed this new advice about Coronavirus. In a statement the company says: “If this is you, and you come into the pharmacy, it potentially means that you may pass on a similar illness to our staff – who will then have to ‘self isolate’. We may struggle to open the pharmacy with reduced staff.”
The statement adds: “While we love to see all our patients it is important, if you don’t feel well and have a cold or cough, that you telephone us on 0115 921 1086 or email ruddington@daleacrehealthcare.co.uk before attending the pharmacy. We can deal with any queries, we can deliver to you or we can give any medication you require to a relative or representative”.
If you become worried about your symptoms out of normal business hours you should initially use the NHS 111 online Coronavirus service.
If you have any other news for us about how Coronavirus is now affecting daily life in Ruddington, please contact RUDDINGTON.info >>HERE<< or via our social media channels.
