Stay at least 2 metres apart – or 1 metre with a face covering or other precautions.
Fresh air
Meet in the fresh air and improve ventilation indoors
Shielding FAQs
Around 9,000 Hackney residents were added to the national shielding list in February 2021 based on an enhanced model of assessing risk which looks at health, weight, ethnicity and other factors.
This model, which has been adopted by the NHS, is based on newly available data which better recognises who is at a higher risk of becoming very ill from coronavirus.
If you have symptoms of coronavirus, no matter how mild, it is important that you get a PCR test.
You must self-isolate immediately, even before you take a test and receive a result. You must not attend medical appointments, other than to get a PCR test.
In Hackney there are a number of PCR testing sites:
Dalston, Bentley Road Car Park, N1 4BZ (open 7 days a week 8am to 8pm – you can also collect a box of rapid tests to use at home at any time)
Hackney Central, Mare Street, E9 6ND (open 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm – you can also collect a box of rapid tests to use at home at any time)
Homerton, Hackney Marshes Centre, E9 5PF (open 3 days a week, 9am-1.30pm)
Stamford Hill, Rookwood Road test centre (former bus garage), London N16 6SD (open 7 days a week, 8am to 8pm – you can also collect a box of rapid tests to use at home at any time)
There are also 2 testing centres nearby that residents can use:
Stamford Hill Primary Nursery Berkeley Rd, Haringey N15 6HD (7 days 8am-8pm)
GuildHall Yard, City of London, EC2V 5AA (7 days 8am-8pm)
Local government-run test centres are not able to accept walk-up tests without an appointment.
The NHS Test and Trace service aims to ensure that people who develop coronavirus are tested and that the spread of the disease is reduced.
People who have had close contact with someone who has a positive coronavirus test result will be identified and asked to self-isolate to protect others within the community.
When there are cases linked by time and place, NHS Test and Trace will notify Public Health England London Coronavirus Response Cell (PHE LCRC) through their escalation processes to deal with complex cases or outbreaks.
PHE LCRC will work with the City and Hackney Public Health Team when there are local outbreaks, or other high risk situations.
Download the NHS COVID-19 app today
The free NHS COVID-19 app is a vital part of the NHS Test and Trace service.
Get a rapid (lateral flow) test if you don’t have symptoms
From Friday 9 April everyone in the UK is being encouraged to get tested for Covid-19 twice a week.
As national restrictions ease, rapid testing is a critical way to reduce the spread and keep us on track with the roadmap out of lockdown.
Rapid Covid-19 tests are free and provide results within 30 minutes.
If you don’t already access rapid testing through an educational setting, or workplace, there are a number of ways you can access rapid tests:
You must arrive at the test site wearing a face covering, unless you’re exempt or have a reasonable excuse (according to the latest government guidelines). If you’re exempt, you should be permitted to enter the test site and perform the test.
Home tests / Community Collect / Pharmacy Collect
Regular testing alongside the vaccination roll out, and continuing to practice ‘hands, face, space’ will reduce the spread of coronavirus and keep us on track with the roadmap out of lockdown.
If you’re included in the following groups listed below you should be testing twice a week:
school, college and nursery age children and young people
families in a household with nursery aged children and/or young people at school or college
childcare or support bubbles
staff, tradespeople or volunteers working in educational settings
children of primary school age (or younger) who don’t have symptoms are not being asked to take a test
The tests are fast, completely free and are for people who do not have symptoms. There are two different ways you can access tests to take at home, twice weekly:
If you have any questions about the home tests kits you have ordered online, including how to use them and where to submit your results please watch this how to guide on home test kits.
You can also call the Here to Help Helpline if you have any questions.
Community Collect / Pharmacy Collect
Community Collect provides boxes of home rapid tests and can be collected from all of Hackney’s rapid test sites. You can also collect boxes from local pharmacies without an appointment – find your nearest locating using the NHS tool.
Staff at these sites can answer questions about how to use these tests, register your kit and record your result.
We recommend that you collect home rapid test kits from rapid test sites:
Geffrye Estate Community Hall, Falkirk Street, N1 6SD
Maurice Bishop House, 17 Reading Lane, London E8 1DS (off Mare Street)
Homerton Library, Homerton High St, Homerton, London E9 6AS
You do not have to book to collect boxes of home rapid test kits at any of these sites, you can walk in any time.
If you are not eligible for a home rapid test kit please book a rapid test.
Hackney businesses are able to collect free rapid home testing kits for their staff from any of the 4 rapid test sites listed, Monday to Friday, 2-5pm.
Or call our coronavirus support helpline: 020 8356 3111, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Support for residents who are self-isolating
Testing and tracing is key to combating the spread of coronavirus.
If you’ve had a positive PCR test (symptomatic test) for coronavirus, you will need to self-isolate (stay at home) for a minimum of 10 days (from the moment you first developed symptoms or from the date you tested positive if you do not have symptoms).
You will also need to self-isolate for 14 days if you’re told by NHS Test and Trace that you’ve been in contact with a person who has coronavirus.
If you’ve been told to self-isolate, you must stay at home to help keep yourself and others safe. Failure to stick to the self-isolation rules will result in fines of at least £1,000.
If you are employed or self-employed on a low income, and you can’t work from home whilst you’re self-isolating, you may be entitled to financial support of £500.
If you need food or medicine, you can order it online or by phone, or ask friends, family or neighbours to drop it off at your home.
If you need advice and support, or if you have any questions, you can also call the Council’s Here to Help phone line on 020 8356 3111, Monday-Friday, 9am-5pm.
The household isolation rules do not apply to anyone who needs to leave home to escape harm and seek help.
If someone is hurting you at home, you don’t have to suffer in silence. See what help is available.
Call 999 in emergencies. If it’s unsafe for you to speak aloud, dial 999 and press 55 when prompted to make a silent phone call to the police.
Housing tenants support
We’ve put together information and advice on the types of available housing support, including financial support, maintenance support and what to do if you have a pre-paid meter and can’t leave your home.
If you’re concerned about the condition of your home or treatment from your landlord, let us know.
Employment support
If your income or job has been affected, you can seek support through our Hackney Works employment service. Our specialist team can help you to find work or training, as well as offer advice on interviews and CV writing.
You can contact the team on hackneyworks@hackney.gov.uk or 020 8356 5700, or see the latest roles – including new temporary roles being created during the pandemic
We’ve created an easy to use find support service map that displays voluntary and community organisations offering help to Hackney’s diverse community, especially to those who are affected.
Support for clinically extremely vulnerable residents
This information is for residents who have been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable. If you are in this group, you will previously have received a letter from the NHS or from your GP telling you this. You may have been advised to shield in the past.
We recognise it may be a confusing or unsettling time. If you would like to speak to someone about what support is available now, or for help planning for the coming months, call us on 020 8356 3111.