To date, there have been fewer COVID-19 cases in Dorset than other areas of the UK. Unfortunately, there have been a number of deaths which are of course a source of great sadness.
The measures put in place to minimise spread of the virus and help keep people safe have had a significant impact on our lives. Thank you for your continued patience.
Continuing council services
Our main objective is to continue delivering vital services. We’ve worked closely with our partners, changed how we do things and redeployed some employees to keep critical services running.
Rubbish and recycling has been collected each week, access to adult and
children’s social care has continued. We reopened our parks and green spaces as soon as we could, while borrowing from libraries was made possible through audio and e-books.
Our support for the most vulnerable residents who were shielding is still in place. Help is available with supermarket and medicine deliveries, befriending services and health and wellbeing. If you, or someone you know, needs help, call us on 01305 221000.
During the lockdown, many of our schools and childcare settings kept their classrooms open for vulnerable children and children of key workers.
Supporting the economy
We’ve been supporting businesses to weather the storm. We paid out £111m in grants to retail and hospitality businesses and arranged a business rates holiday to those eligible. Dorset’s high streets re-opened to shoppers in June.
After a delayed start, Dorset’s had lots of visitors which is good news for the local visitor economy. There were some issues with littering, disposable barbecues and anti-social behaviour, but most enjoyed their visits in a responsible and respectful way.
