Latest information
Coronavirus remains a serious health risk. You should stay cautious to help protect yourself and others.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) guidance – For health and social care settings, other non-clinical settings, and for the general public.
If you need help, you can call our coronavirus helpline on 0300 790 6275
Staying safe and well
Find out how to stay safe and prevent the spread
Ventilation of indoor spaces to stop the spread of coronavirus
Face coverings: when to wear one, exemptions and how to make one – This page explains when to wear a face covering, exemptions from wearing one, and how to make your own face covering. And there’s a helpful video explaining how to use face coverings properly.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): disposing of waste – How to dispose of waste, including face coverings, personal protective equipment (PPE) and rapid lateral flow tests.
Optional badges/lanyards to promote ongoing social distancing– Optional badges that can be used to show the carrier may have difficulties or concerns in maintaining social distancing.
Domestic abuse: how to get help– Find out how to get help if you or someone you know is a victim of domestic abuse.
Getting help with daily activities outside your home during coronavirus – If you need support while outside your home, this guide explains what you and the people helping you should do to limit the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Volunteering during coronavirus (COVID-19)
Health at home – How to access NHS services online
NHS Live Well – Advice, tips and tools to help you make the best choices about your health and wellbeing.
Better Health, Every Mind Matters – Looking after your mental health
Testing and vaccination
GOV.UK advice
Get a free PCR test to check if you have coronavirus – Use this service to order a test if you have at least one of the 3 coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, you’ve lost your sense of smell or taste or it’s changed. You can order a PCR test kit to be sent to your home or book an appointment at a walk-in or drive-through test site.
Order rapid lateral flow tests if you do not have symptoms – Use this service to order free packs of rapid lateral flow tests to be sent to your home.
Report a test result from a lateral flow test kit – Use this service to report your result to the NHS after using a rapid lateral flow test kit to check if you’re infectious with coronavirus (COVID-19).
Guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection– Stay at home guidance.
NHS test and trace: what to do if you are contacted– An overview of NHS Test and Trace, including what happens if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive.
Check if you can get a Test and Trace Support Payment – You might be able to get a payment of £500 if you’re on a low income.
NHS advice
Regular rapid lateral flow COVID-19 tests if you do not have symptoms of coronavirus
Get tested for coronavirus – There are different tests you can get to check if you have coronavirus (COVID-19). The test you need depends on why you’re getting tested.
Get NHS advice about coronavirus – including symptoms, testing, vaccination and self-isolation,
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine – The coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine is safe and effective. It gives you the best protection against COVID-19.
Coronavirus vaccination – Book your COVID-19 vaccination, read about the vaccine and find out about getting your vaccination status for travelling abroad.
Vaccination information in other languages
You can find information about the NHS vaccination programme in Somerset on the NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group website
Work and support
Getting financial help and staying safe at work – Get coronavirus (COVID-19) support if you are working less or not working – and find out how to stay safe at work. All work and financial support information on GOV.UK
Find out what support you can get if you’re affected by coronavirus– Use this service to find out what help and advice you can get from the government and other organisations. You can use it for yourself or someone else.
Check if your employer can use the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme – Find out if you’re eligible, and how much your employer can claim if they put you on temporary leave (‘furlough’) because of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you’re employed and cannot work
Coronavirus (COVID-19): what to do if you were employed and have lost your job
Plan for Jobs: skills, employment and support programmes for jobseekers – Information and guidance for those looking for a job
Enabling safe and effective volunteering during coronavirus (COVID-19) – This guidance aims to help organisations and groups understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the pandemic.
Claim financial support under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme
If you need to self-isolate or cannot attend work due to coronavirus – Guidance for employers and workers on work absences due to coronavirus (COVID-19).
Advice for pregnant employees risk assessments in the workplace and occupational health during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Businesses and self-employed
All coronavirus business support information on GOV.UK – Get coronavirus (COVID-19) support for your business or if you’re self-employed, and find out how to keep your business and your employees safe.
Check if you can claim a grant through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme – If you’re self-employed or a member of a partnership and have been impacted by coronavirus (COVID-19) find out if you can use this scheme to claim a grant.
Financial support for businesses and self employed people
Working safely during coronavirus– Find out how to make your workplace COVID-secure.
NHS Test and Trace service in the workplace – Guidance on the NHS Test and Trace service for employers, businesses and workers
Guidance for voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations
Information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses – The latest information for farmers, landowners and rural businesses during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Advice for people in England with animals – Advice for pet owners, livestock and animal keepers on looking after the welfare of animals and people during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Schools, universities, education and childcare
All coronavirus education and childcare information on GOV.UK – Guidance for teachers, school leaders, carers, parents and students.
Order rapid flow tests if you are a parent or carer – Use this service to order free packs of rapid lateral flow tests to be sent to your home.
What parents and carers need to know about early years providers, schools and colleges during COVID-19 – Information for parents and carers about attending schools, nurseries and colleges.
Critical workers and vulnerable children who can access schools or educational settings – List of critical workers (key workers) and vulnerable children and young people who can access full-time education provision in the case of future restrictions on education during the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
Advice and support for students in higher education
Safe working in education, childcare and children’s social care – Preventing and controlling infection, including the use of PPE, in education, childcare and children’s social care settings during the coronavirus outbreak.
Schools, parents and young people helpline – The Department for Education (DfE) has set up a dedicated helpline for schools, parents or young people. Available Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm, phone 0800 046 8687 or email DfE.coronavirushelpline@education.gov.uk
Healthcare workers, carers and care
NHS – Guidance for people working in healthcare
Guidance for people working in Adult Social Care
Guidance for Children’s Social Care Services
Visiting arrangements in care homes – Sets out how care homes can support families and visitors to visit residents.
Providing home care – Information for those providing personal care to people living in their own home during the coronavirus outbreak.
Providing unpaid care– Information for people who are caring, unpaid, for friends or family during the coronavirus outbreak.
Providing unpaid care to adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Supporting adults with learning disabilities and autistic adults
Young carers and young adult carers: providing care during coronavirus – Guidance and information for people under the age of 25 who are providing care for someone during the coronavirus outbreak.
Supporting people outside of their home – For people who need support when outside their home and people who provide this support during Coronavirus
Guidance for people receiving direct payments– Advice for people who buy care and support through a direct payment, as well as local authorities, clinical commissioning groups and those who provide care and support.
Transport and travel
Transport and travel guidance – Information for people using transport or working in the transport sector during the coronavirus outbreak.
Safer travel guidance for passengers – Walking, cycling, and travelling in vehicles or on public transport during the coronavirus outbreak.
NHS COVID Pass – How to get the NHS COVID Pass and demonstrate your coronavirus (COVID-19) status when travelling abroad and domestically at events and venues in England.
Overseas travel
Travel abroad from England during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Check what you need to do before you travel and when you return to England
Travelling abroad: step by step – Check what you need to do to travel internationally.
Travel abroad from England during coronavirus (COVID-19) – Check what you need to do before you travel and when you return to England.
Support if someone dies
What to do if someone dies – Check what to do after a death – how to register the death, notify government departments and manage financial issues.
Guidance for arranging or attending a funeral or commemorative event
Local advice and guidance
Somerset County Council information
Latest Coronavirus updates – You can find our latest updates to services here
Our affected services – Includes s summary of our services affected by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
Our Coronavirus section – latest local and national advice and information
Somerset Newsroom – You can find our latest press releases here
Local Outbreak Management Plan Summary – a summary of the plan for managing COVID-19 outbreaks to protect residents
Local Outbreak Management Plan for Somerset – a plan for managing COVID-19 outbreaks to protect residents
COVID-19 Dashboard – The latest statistics and trends for Covid-19 cases in Somerset
COVID-19 Process for use of Local Powers for Events
Local website information
Age UK Somerset – Support for older people, their families and carers
Somerset Community Connect – Information on care, health and wellbeing for adults.
Somerset Safeguarding Adults Board – Guidance for safeguarding adults in Somerset
Somerset Armed Forces Covenant Partnership – A partnership between councils, colleges, health services, charities, the military and reservists
Somerset Survivors – Domestic abuse help and advice
Somerset’s Local Offer – Information and advice for parents, carers and families including children and young people with special educational needs.
Somerset SENDIAS – provides information, advice and support about Special Educational Needs and Disability for parent carers, children and young people (up to the age of 25).
The Somerset Parent Carer Forum are keeping their Facebook pages and website as up to date as possible for parents and carers.
The Somerset Carers Service is keeping their website up to date with key info and have their advice lines available for carers.
Somerset Safeguarding Children’s Board – Guidance for safeguarding children in Somerset
Somerset Bereavement Support Service – The service is here if you’ve been bereaved and need emotional support or someone to talk to. Phone 0800 304 7412 9am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday.
Healthy Somerset – Health and wellbeing in Somerset
Mind in Somerset – You can phone the Mindline Somerset Coronavirus support helpline on 01823 276892 (Open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week)
NHS Somerset Clinical Commissioning Group – Information on health and local services including vaccinations.
St Margaret’s Hospice – Essential COVID-19 symptomatic advice and care resources for healthcare professionals and care providers.
Somerset Activity and Sport Partnership (SASP) has set up a Be Active at Home web page which is divided into sections to show activities for all.
Spark Somerset – Supporting Somerset volunteer communities to respond to COVID-19, sharing the latest information, best practice guidance for groups and useful resources.
Corona Helpers – Register your COVID-19 volunteer group, find more people to help and offer help.
Somerset Prepared is a multi-agency partnership working closely with communities to deliver advice, support and training to help enhance local resilience to emergencies.
COVID-19 Response for Gypsy, Traveller and Roma communities in Somerset
Travel Somerset has the latest updates transport and travel updates, including information on Community Transport.
Face coverings on First Bus service – If you, or someone you care for have a face covering exemption and you are unable to wear a face covering please be prepared to inform the bus driver and show an Extra help to Travel card (Journey assistance card). You can download the card here.
Somerset Waste Partnership – Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Advice and service updates
Devon and Somerset Trading Standards – Provides advice and support to businesses, works to protect consumers and the economy by ensuring legal and honest trading. They also support the agriculture industry to ensure good animal health and welfare.
Links to District Council information and advice
Mendip District Council
Sedgemoor District Council
South Somerset District Council
Somerset West and Taunton
If you can’t find the help you need, or your need is more urgent, please phone the
Somerset Coronavirus Helpline