Tier 4 Covid-19 Update: 20th December 2020

We Are Still Open!

From 12:00am on Sunday 20th December 2020 the British Government introduced further constraints, including a new ,more restrictive, Tier 4 level. The full government advice can be found at Tier 4: Stay at Home – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

It is important to note that, while travel is generally to be avoided, you can travel…

• within a Tier 4 area,
• from a Tier 4 area to a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area,
• or from a Tier 1, 2 or 3 area to a Tier 4 area

…for the purpose of “visiting hospital, GP and other medical appointments or visits where you have had an accident or are concerned about your health”.

As an essential healthcare service, Audiology Services are specifically exempted from the legal requirement for businesses to close^*. We have implemented stringent measures to ensure your safety, including triaging everyone before they book, adding extra time between appointments to ensure customers don’t cross paths as they enter and leave the premises, checking temperatures before customers come in, sanitising customers’ hands and enforcing the wearing of surgical face masks for everyone’s protection^* .

As an Audiology Service providing ear wax removal, Hearing First’s Microsuction Ear Wax Removal Network is exempt from the requirement to close during Tiers system. This is specified in the most recent legislation The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) (No. 4) Regulations 2020 PART 3 Businesses permitted to remain open. 47: “Dental services, opticians, audiology services, chiropody, chiropractors, osteopaths and other
medical or health services, including services relating to mental health.”

We take strict measures, including triaging every single patient, checking temperatures, wearing high level PPE, enforcing the wearing of a Type iiR surgical mask (which we will provide if you don’t have one), and sanitising surfaces. Due to these measures, our clinic rooms are the safest place you can be whatever Tier level or R rate. Although some people are exempt from wearing face masks when entering a “shop”, in the most recent government legislation Audiology Services are exempt from the definition of shop, so everybody must wear a mask, which we will provide, for the protection of others, otherwise treatment cannot be provided. You can find the relevant legislation here. You can find the full legislation here.

Further Information On Coronavirus

Government advice on Coronavirus

The Government’s advice is very clear:

Hands – Face – Space

• Hands – wash your hands regularly for 20 seconds
• Face – wear a face covering where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet
• Space – stay 2 metres (6ft) away from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings)
  NOTE: In our clinics, we wear full PPE and this does not count as social contact.
• One in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and will be spreading it without realising it.

More information on the Government directive can be found here:
Local restriction tiers: what you need to know – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Other trusted sources of information

NHS

The NHS has a very helpful page on symptoms of Coronavirus, how to stop infection spreading, looking after your health and wellbeing, what to do if you need medical help,, pregnancy advice, advice for people at high risk, and self-isolation. You can find that page here:
NHS information on COVID-19

World Economic Forum

The World Economic Forum has a page with extensive information about people with mild or no symptoms spreading COVID-19 as well as what they are doing to help combat Coronavirus here:
People with mild or no symptoms could be spreading COVID-19

Annals of Internal Medicine

The respected journal, Annals of Internal Medicine, has a research article on the incubation people of Coronavirus. It is quite technical and in depth, but if you want to learn absolutely everything about COVID-19, the article is here:
The Incubation Period of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Up To Date

Up To Date has virtually every fact about COVID-19 , including incubation period, spectrum of illness severity, impact of age, asymptomatic infections, clinical manifestations, evaluation and diagnosis, epidemiology, virology & management and prevention here:
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