Coronavirus (Covid-19) advice for residents

Keep up with the latest Covid restrictions and what to do if you have symptoms.

National lockdown

You must stay at home. The single most important action we can all take is to stay at home to protect the NHS and save lives.

You must not leave, or be outside of your home except where necessary. You may leave the home to:

• Shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
• Go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
• Exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
• Meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
• Seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
• Attend education or childcare - for those eligible

You can find full details about the national lockdown on the government's website.

Infection rates in Aldershot and Farnborough

We have one of the highest Covid-19 infection rates in the country. In the latest figures, we had an infection rate of 680 per 100,000, which is much higher than the national average.

Around one in three people with coronavirus do not have any symptoms, but can still pass the virus on.

It is estimated that one in 40 people in Rushmoor currently is infected with the virus. The infections are across all age groups, but particularly affecting working age people.

Please see the GOV.UK - coronavirus statistics for Rushmoor web page for the latest daily data.

Check if you have coronavirus symptoms 

If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus, get a test as soon as possible. Stay at home until you get the result. 

The main symptoms of coronavirus are: 

• A high temperature - this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature) 
• A new, continuous cough - this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or three or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual) 
• A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste - this means you've noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal 

Most people with coronavirus have at least one of these symptoms. 

What to do if you have symptoms 

If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus: 

• Get a test to check if you have coronavirus as soon as possible 
• Stay at home and do not have visitors until you get your test result - only leave your home to have a test 

Anyone you live with, and anyone in your support bubble, must also stay at home until you get your result. 

If you are worried about your symptoms or are not sure what to do, use the NHS 111 online service.  

Getting a coronavirus test 

Testing is free and involves a swab of the nose and back of the throat, which takes less than a minute.

You can find out more about testing in our animation below:

Local testing sites

There is a local testing centre available in the Parsons Barracks car park in Ordnance Road, Aldershot.

A coronavirus mobile testing unit will also be available in the Napier Gardens car park, North Camp on the following dates:

• 28 to 31 January

Both testing sites are by appointment only. If you have coronavirus symptoms, you must book a test using the government's website. You should be offered a test at the nearest test centre with appointments available.

Anyone who doesn't have access to the internet can call 119 to book a test.

NHS COVID-19 app 

The NHS COVID-19 app is available to download for free in England and Wales. It is the fastest way to see if you're at risk from coronavirus. The faster you know, the quicker you can alert and protect your loved ones and community. 

The app has a number of tools to protect you, including contact tracing, local area alerts and venue check-in.  

See the below video for more information about the NHS COVID-19 app. 

Advice for the Nepali community

The Cambridge GP practice in Aldershot has produced a video giving coronavirus advice for the local Nepali community.

You can view the video on YouTube.