Stay at home this Easter – we’ve got things for you to do (and not do)
Nottingham City Council is urging people to stay at home this Easter to prevent the spread of coronavirus and ease pressure on the NHS and other frontline services.
It is providing help and guidance so people can enjoy Easter as much as possible within current restrictions and stay safe.
The council has created online resources giving people a range of options to keep themselves and children entertained during the ongoing lockdown. It has launched a new web page at www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/stayinghome providing a list of activities and fun things for the family to do over Easter – all of which can be enjoyed from home during the current social restrictions.
There will be a number of council services that continue to run over Easter – including homecare workers providing care and other council staff supplying food parcels for the elderly and vulnerable, as well as Community Protection Officers keeping communities safe and bin crews carrying on collecting household waste.
Bins normally collected on April 10th (Good Friday) will be collected as normal while those normally collected on April 13th (Easter Monday) will be collected on Saturday 11th April. Residents are reminded that we are unable to collect any extra rubbish as this would take up vital space in vehicles and jeopardise the council’s ability to maintain a sustainable waste collection for all households. Therefore while it may be tempting to have spring clear-out over Easter, residents are urged not to do so, as the council’s Household Waste & Recycling Centre is temporarily closed, bulky waste collections are currently suspended and charity shops are closed.
Also, nobody should be tempted to dump waste on the streets. Fly-tipping unnecessarily diverts the council’s crews from vital frontline work and won’t be tolerated – anyone who breaks the law in this way will be vigorously pursued.
Garden waste collections are also suspended so any waste produced from gardening efforts over Easter will need to be kept at home – but it mustn’t be placed in main household waste bins. Advice is to carry out home composting – with information available how to do it here, or simply store garden waste in a neat heap in the corner of your garden, and keep turning it weekly to keep it aerated. Although it’s tempting to burn garden waste, this generates smoke and people in your neighbourhood suffering with coronavirus may have difficulties breathing – so please be considerate, avoid bonfires and try to keep our air clean.
The main advice is of course to stay at home, and not be tempted to see family or friends for Easter. Government advice on exercising outside once a day alone or with members of your household, while maintaining social distancing rules, remains in place. The council is hopeful that the sensible use of people’s local parks last weekend will be repeated over Easter and its parks remain open for this – although playgrounds and outdoor gyms are closed.
City Council Leader, Cllr David Mellen, said: “We appreciate that at a time which would normally be a national holiday and a chance to get together with family and friends – especially with good weather forecast – it is a lot to ask that everyone stays at home.
“But we have seen that the people of Nottingham have overwhelmingly done the right thing, with very few people in our streets and parks. People can use their local park for a short amount of daily exercise – but they shouldn’t be seen as a destination for a day out. I would like to commend everyone who is taking the right approach and for the part you are therefore playing in the fight against the virus and protecting the NHS and other frontline services.
“Please don’t be tempted to change that approach just because it is Easter. Also please try to limit household waste where you can and don’t dump rubbish, so that we can continue to make sure your bin is emptied every fortnight.
“I would like to thank all our staff, from bin crews, street cleaners and Community Protection Officers to homecare workers, who will be working this Easter and beyond, for their dedication and hard work. And thanks too to everyone helping neighbours and volunteering to support others. Please know that the whole city appreciates all your valiant efforts.”