There is still a long way to go in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s announcement of a strategy to bring the UK out of lockdown does not mean life has now returned to normal.

That is the message from Ealing Council, which is taking a cautious approach to reopening its services that puts the safety of residents and staff first.

There is still a long way to go in the COVID-19 pandemic, and the government’s announcement of a strategy to bring the UK out of lockdown does not mean life has now returned to normal.

Social distancing measures are still in place and all residents need to continue playing their part in stopping the virus spreading. You must continue stay at home as much as possible, including working from home if possible, and limit contact with others.

Some of the key changes are:

Parks and outdoor spaces

You can now:

• Spend time outdoors, including exercise, with one person who is not in your household as long as you maintain two-metres’ distance at all times.
• Work on a public allotment.
• Play tennis at our managed tennis facilities; public courts in parks remain closed at present.
• Play golf at one of Ealing’s golf courses, which are reopening on Saturday, 16 May.

Our fishing lakes at Northala Fields remain closed for the time being; more details of their reopening will follow in due course.

All playgrounds and outdoor gym equipment remain closed off.

You should continue to always keep a safe two-metre distance from others while outside and wash your hands as soon as you get home.

Work

For the foreseeable future, workers should continue to do their jobs from home rather than their normal physical workplace, wherever possible.

All workers who cannot work from home should travel to their workplace, if it is open.

At home

Wash your clothes regularly. There is some evidence that the virus can stay on fabrics for a few days.

Keep indoor places well ventilated. Evidence suggests that the virus is less likely to be passed on in well-ventilated buildings and outdoors.

Transport

You should continue to avoid public transport wherever possible. If public transport is your only option, please travel outside of peak times if you can. Speak to your employer about staggering your start and finish times at work. When travelling, use a face covering and carry hand sanitiser with you.

You should cycle or walk instead if you can and avoid driving as much as possible.

Waste

The rubbish and recycling centres in Greenford and Acton will reopen from Monday, 18 May with appropriate social distancing guidelines in place. Please only go there if you absolutely need to.

Schools

Nothing has changed for the time being, but the government has indicated that some primary school pupils could go back to school within this term if certain nationwide necessary conditions are met.

Shielding

People with very specific medical conditions have been advised to continue shielding until the end of June, by doing everything they can to stay at home and isolate from others. This is because they are at the greatest risk of serious complications from coronavirus.

Five ways to protect yourself and others

• Stay at home as much as possible, and work at home if you can.
• Avoid public transport. Walk or cycle instead.
• When you go out, stay at least two metres (six foot) away from others and wear a face covering when you go into shops and other enclosed spaces.
• Wash your hands regularly.
• If you or anyone in your household has COVID-19 symptoms, you must all self-isolate for 14 days.

‘Stay at home as much as possible’

Councillor Julian Bell, the leader of Ealing Council, said: “The COVID-19 lockdown is still very much in place and, although the government has announced changes to some of the rules, not a lot has changed for most of us. You should continue to stay at home as much as possible, including working from home if you can.

“The social distancing rules are more important than ever. When we do go out, we must all keep two metres apart from others at all times. Exercise and sports in our parks should be done with members of our own households or a maximum of one other person.

“We are looking at the government’s new guidelines to understand the impact on reopening any of our currently closed services. We will only do that once we put in place any procedures that are needed to protect the health and safety of our residents and workers.”

Find out more

More details of the council’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic can be found here.

If you have symptoms of COVID-19, visit www.111.nhs.uk or call 111 for more advice.