Eventually, Boris Johnson told us yesterday: “You must stay at home“.
From Monday evening 23 March 2020, people can only leave home for one of the four following reasons:
- Shopping for groceries or essentials
- Any medical need
- One form of exercise per day
- Travelling to and from work, if it’s absolutely necessary and you cannot work from home
In a ministerial broadcast from Downing Street the Prime Minister said citizens would face fines (the punishment in England for not complying would be a fixed penalty notice initially set at £30) if they fail to comply with the government’s new instructions.
The decision comes one week after similar measures were decided in France. In France the measures are reinforced with a mandatory self-assessment to fill if you want to go out (failing to do so will trigger a fine of minimum €135, €1500 if 4 breaches and up to €3700 and 6 months in prison if multiple breaches with 30 days).
France was itself more than a week behind Italy which took measures to quarantine the population on March 8th… while in China it started on January 23rd! Confinement is essential as unfortunately the later the measures the more deaths: Italy registers now more than double the deaths of China due to Covid-19.
The good news is that China decided to lift restrictions from April 8th. Therefore if we apply properly the rules and compare with China, confinement might only last for 2-3 months.
What does it mean for Clapham Junction
Parks: Wandsworth Council published a statement yesterday saying that parks, commons and other outdoor spaces remain open. However people are being reminded of the vital need of keeping a two metre gap between people in order to prevent any further spread of Coronavirus.
However the press-release says: “Many people are ignoring this advice and putting themselves and their family and friends at greater risk of contracting the disease.” It comes after pictures were sent of people playing football on Sunday. In Paris (again, one week ago!) decision was taken to close all parks as people where still gathering in public gardens.
Car-parking: Amid the high demand of parking in residential streets (with most people staying at home), health professionals, care workers, those providing voluntary support, essential business/service providers and other key workers can apply for a parking dispensation by emailing: parking@wandsworth.gov.uk.
Financial help for business: Grants from £10k to £25k are provided to support local businesses. Click on the link for more details.
Of course it means that all Council services are closed. It includes the libraries and both the Smugglers Way and Cringle Dock waste facilities to residents wishing to drop of their waste or recyclables in a car or van. You’ll find more information on their website – www.wrwa.gov.uk
Wandsworth Council has set-up a specific page to provide the latest information on Covid-19: HERE.
Where to go shopping for food – local alternatives and home delivery
As non-essential shops are closed, you can still buy food in Clapham Junction in your normal food shop (not only supermarkets but also Hennessey’s butchers on Northcote Road, Hetu on St Johns Hill for dry food and some vegetable.
Morning Fresh Produce: 5am-10am
A small fruit and vegetable wholesale company based at Grant Road, Clapham Junction SW11 2NU, (in the arches under Clapham Junction train station), is usually supplying restaurants, pubs, old people’s homes, caterers …etc. They source products freshly direct out of New Covent Garden market.
In the exceptional circumstances of COVID 19 and consequent shortage of fresh food supplies in supermarkets they are opening their doors to the public. They have a fully stocked refrigerated warehouse and they will keep their doors open from 5am – 10am daily (excluding Sundays) for you to come and help yourselves. They currently accept cash and might be able to process card payments (chip+pin and contactless). You can contact them: morningfreshproduce (at) gmail.com
New Covent Garden is delivering food
New Covent Garden is now delivering to your door fruit and vegetable boxes. Order from £16.95, depending on suppliers (see the link for the choice).
They are a veg wholesaler for restaurants and are doing home deliveries at the moment. They provide not only fruit and veg, but they have the essentials such as bread, milk, eggs, pasta as well as vegan alternatives such as oat milk, soya milk and tofu. They have an extensive list of produce and groceries which is now available directly to your home. They just ask for a minimum order value of £20.
They are doing home delivery. All orders placed will be delivered within 2-3 working days. All deliveries will be made between 6am and 6pm. We deliver 6 days per week, Monday – Saturday. However at the time this article was written, all items were out of stock.
They have decided to keep the breadstall open for the time being. Customers can buy bread, coffee, pizza and sandwiches while still practising safe social distancing outdoor.
Restaurants
Most of the local restaurants are operating take-away. You will find a list on LavenderHillForMe. This website has done a staggering job in collecting details about who is offering what – including of they offer delivery, and a telephone number to contact then on.
Where to get help – Where to help
Nextdoor: a lot of message from food delivery, dog walker offers…etc in the area.
The Council has set-up a page where you ca register to support your community: HERE. Wandsworth Council is launching a new helpline as a first response for residents, particularly those elderly and/or vulnerable without support networks, who need support to access medical/care services and food supplies. This is to help those most in need stay safe and well while they self-isolate at home.
If a resident needs this support, they should contact 0208 871 6555 or covid19support@richmondandwandsworth.gov.uk
Kambala association have set up a COVID 19 outreach project and they have food packs to be delivered to those in need. They are looking for volunteers to help with deliveries and leaflet drops to let people know help is available. If you are interested please send an email to admin@kambala.org.uk.
You can also feel their online form: Volunteer Application – Kambala Cares Project
Local Community Centre have also organised help and food distribution.
Feel free to comment below to update the list. It is still a work in progress.
Last but not least: be sensible and stay at home!
Bear in mind that it’s still important to remember social distancing (the government says 2 meters away, same as Canada for example, while other countries such as France or Italy advise 1m… the more the better!) – so do keep space between you and others at all time.
