Coronavirus Update 20th March 2020
It is with great regret that we have decided to temporarily stop all Sight for Wight activities, social groups and coffee mornings due to the escalating coronavirus situation, until further notice. This includes the Low Vision Exhibition which was due to take place on Saturday 21st March at Newclose Cricket Ground. A new date will be announced in the future.
Staff at Millbrooke House are now working remotely from home but the building is not open to the public. Staff are able to answer both phone calls and emails from home during working hours.
Like the common cold and flu, coronavirus infection usually occurs through close contact with an infected person via coughs and sneezes or hand contact. A person can also be infected by touching contaminated surfaces if they do not wash their hands. Since our earlier advice, the risk of being in close contact with a person with coronavirus or contaminated surfaces has increased, with its continuing spread. To protect yourself and others from infection you are advised to:
• Always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.
• Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands. Avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
• Please follow current guidelines on self-isolation as appropriate.
You can find the latest information and advice from Public Health England at www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Any Other News
Dining in the Dark Challenge
Newport based Vectis Sunrise Rotary Club are hosting this event to raise money for Sight for Wight on Friday 24th April 2020 at the restaurant at the Isle of Wight College from 6.30pm -9.00pm. Tickets are available from Eventbrite at £42.00. This is currently scheduled to go ahead, although this is subject to change.
New £20 note – The new £20 note entered circulation on the 20th February. The new note is the same size and has similar colours to the paper note. It also has the tactile feature which is created by a series of raised dots, as do the new £10 and £5 notes. The tactile dots are in the top left hand corner. The £20 note has 3 dots, the £10 note has 2 dots and the £5 note doesn’t have any dots.
This weeks In Touch:
Coronavirus and Pavement Parking
As more information about measures to reduce the impact of coronavirus are revealed – what is their impact on the blind and visually impaired? Reliance on touch – and the impact of too much caution could have serious implications according to listener Kirsten Hearn. And Director of Operations at Guide Dogs Peter Osborne tells us what his organisation is doing to mitigate the situation in a time of upheaval. And he hinted at a change on our programme a few weeks ago – but Grant Shapps has revealed measures to ban pavement parking in England. We work through the implications of a consultation with Tom Walker, and Sarah Lambert, Head of Social Change at RNIB gives a reaction. And – if you need some light relief, a clip from Chris McCausland’s recent Now Show appearance on the joys of Audio Description.
You can listen to this week’s In Touch by clicking HERE.
