Things have moved very quickly in a week and life looked very different for many people as we entered the first day of a UK lockdown on Tuesday due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Government outlined strict new measures on Monday evening to try and stop the spread of the virus. People can only leave their homes to travel to and from work, where absolutely necessary, or to shop for essential items or fulfil any medical or care needs. Residents can leave their homes to exercise outside once a day, but maintaining distance from others, and a ban on public gatherings of more than two people is now in force.

Shops selling non-essential goods have also closed, and follow schools, cinemas, pubs, restaurants, play parks, libraries and more. B&NES Council declared a major incident on Monday evening, a formal step so that assistance can be requested from other public sector agencies and will allow the local authority to register its intention to seek financial assistance as the impact becomes clear.

At the time of writing, there were sixteen confirmed cases of the virus in B&NES.

All week, The Journal has been trying to source local information about how you are responding to the crisis, with much more inside the paper. Our aim is to provide you with positive, helpful resources so that we can all get through this together.

Many parishes are working on helplines for older or vulnerable residents, or for those who are alone or struggling with anxiety during this time. There are details inside, but please do let us know of any initiatives that you are setting up locally. You will also find a coupon within these pages to fill out and post through letterboxes to offer support if you feel you can give it.

Residents are being urged not to stockpile food and essential supplies and to work together so that there is enough for everyone. Writing to The Journal, Dr Nick Jones, from St Chad’s Surgery, has urged people to pay serious attention to the Government. He said: “Times of desperation can be uniting and ultimately, up lifting. Retrospectively we will be judged by generations to come on how we act now, and most of us would prefer to be remembered as being part of a tightly-knit and compassionate community, generous in spirit and looking out for and protecting each other.”

Town and Parish Councillors are drawing up plans to keep the cogs of Local Government turning, now that they are unable to meet. Some bodies are transferring more powers to clerks and making funding available so that residents can support each other.

Midsomer Norton Town Council was due to hold an extraordinary meeting on Monday to discuss passing powers to the clerk, but cancelled it in line with Government advice.

The Town Council has now sent a leaflet to every household in Midsomer Norton with information, advice and posters for its ‘good neighbour’ scheme, which lets residents advertise if they need or can offer help. It says: “Let’s help each other, as best we can, to get through this period of anxiety, uncertainty and potential loneliness.

“Please think about the needs of your neighbours, if you can help especially (but not exclusively) the elderly and vulnerable.

“This could be to make sure they have food and other essential items, check whether they need help with shopping and make sure they have your phone number.”

Timsbury Parish Council’s website says: “Timsbury Parish Council will continue to operate remotely as best it can making decisions that support the village in any way it can within its resources.

“The Parish Council has decided to continue to support its staff and some of its contractors in principle and to ensure the long-term viability. Generally, it is hoped that residents will help others with practical matters and support, as long as they carry out the protection measures and self-isolation as required. This is a great village – we can do it!”

Westfield Parish Council’s offices have closed to visitors until further notice. Staff are working from home, so any queries can still be sent in by email and will be answered during normal office hours.

A statement on its website says: “Parish Council meetings will be cancelled in the boardroom until further notice, but council business will continue as normal. We will bring you updates as alternative arrangements are made.”

B&NES Council will be regularly meeting with local agencies, including the Police, RUH and CCG by teleconference.

We at The Journal are available by email: contact [email protected] and @MNRJournal via social media and would love to hear your stories about initiatives within the community, or just things to keep us all going during these challenging times. A big thank you to Dave Stock, local quizmaster, who has given us a new feature this week, and we are working on ideas to bring you as much as we can during this time. Keep an eye on our website: www.mnrjournal.co.uk where you can also view digital editions and archives.

Keep safe, keep in touch and remember – we are stronger when we work together. If anyone out there is struggling and cannot find help in these pages, please get in touch and we will do our best to help signpost you to a service.

For information locally, visit: https://beta.bathnes. gov.uk/coronavirus and nationally: https://www.gov.uk/ coronavirus