Local News Monday 20th September

Monday, 20 September 2021 06:00

Around one-in-nine of the adult population in Yeovil and South Somerset have yet to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. A case of the cattle disease BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Somerset. A new way of helping people who've gone missing is being used by South Western Railway in Somerset. Home care companies in Somerset are struggling to meet the demand for their services. A new way of helping people who've gone missing is being used by South Western Railway in Somerset.

Around one-in-nine of the adult population in Yeovil and South Somerset have yet to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. Figures from NHS England show that 130,601 people aged 18 and over had received a first dose of the vaccine by September 13, with 17,291 remaining unvaccinated – around 11.7% of all adults in the area. Those aged 18-29 have the highest refusal rates in the area, with 23.3% yet to get a jab, followed by the 30-39 age bracket at 21.4%. Meanwhile, NHS England says it will send text messages and letters in the coming week to more than a million people inviting them to book their coronavirus booster jab. Those eligible include people aged 50 and over, those living and working in care homes for the elderly and frontline health and social care workers.

A case of the cattle disease BSE has been confirmed on a farm in Somerset. The Animal and Plant Health Agency say the infected animal has died and the carcass removed. Restrictions on the movement of cattle on the farm, which hasn’t been identified, have been put in place.

A new way of helping people who've gone missing is being used by South Western Railway in Somerset. It's joined forces with the national charity Missing People to try a different approach to using posters to advertise that someone is missing. Instead, South Western Railway staff will be given confidential briefings on people to look out for so they can approach them in person and offer help.

Home care companies in Somerset are struggling to meet the demand for their services, leading to more people being temporarily placed in care homes. Providers had to hand back 60 packages of care to the County Council between April and June, mainly because of staffing shortages.

Football shirts, specially made to mark the 125th anniversary of Yeovil Town have been donated to BBC's ‘Kit Out the Nation’ appeal. The shirts, printed for a day of celebrations last year that was cancelled due to the pandemic, will be distributed to local amateur teams unable to afford new kit of their own.

More from News

Thursday 1st May

There’s been a call for the Somerset Levels to be designated a National Landscape. A Yeovil man has raised £2,000 for a new school minibus at Fairmead School in Yeovil by running the London Marathon. Exmoor Ales, which provides cask ales across the region and beyond, is closing its Somerset brewery and moving the business to Surrey...and more.
Wednesday 30th April

The long-awaited refurbishment of Yeovil police station is finally to get underway this summer. Plans have been approved to build 185 new homes off Bunford Lane in Yeovil. Police have arrested three men in Yeovil for being involved in the supply of Class A drugs. A Somerset jockey has been named Champion Conditional Jockey of 2025...and more.
Tuesday 29th April

New figures have shown that registering as a new patient with an NHS dentist in Somerset is still just as difficult as it was six months ago. The go-ahead has been given to build 160 new houses on Station Road in Castle Cary. A sailor from South Petherton has been chosen to lead a team in the round-the-world Clipper Race...and more.
Monday 28th April

Somerset Council is being criticised for taking too long to re-open Yeovil's Octagon Theatre. The Liberal Democrats have won a seat on Chard Town Council by one vote. Dates have been announced for this year’s illuminated carnival processions in South Somerset...and more.
Friday 25th April

Police are investigating the theft of a motorbike in Ilminster. Tributes have been paid to the former Yeovil Town player-manager, Cecil Irwin, who has died aged 83. Town criers from across the South West will be in Yeovil tomorrow competing for the loudest voice in the Yeovil Town Crier Competition 2025...and more
Thursday 24th April

Police are appealing for witnesses to an accident in which a child was struck by a car in Yeovil. This week, a planning inquiry is being held into plans to turn a Somerset shopping centre into a retirement complex. A Somerset woman is planning to walk the 70-miles of Hadrian's Wall to mark her 90th birthday...and more.
Wednesday 23rd April

Tourism bosses in Somerset say they feel confident the County will have a good summer for visitors this year. A group representing care providers in Somerset is warning that some residential homes are at risk of going out of business due to rising costs. A Somerset animal charity has taken into care, three orphaned badger cubs...and more.
Tuesday 22nd April

The Care Quality Commission has given two GP practices in Yeovil a 'good' overall rating. According to insurers, AXA, thefts at commercial premises in Somerset are on the rise. Bus users in Somerset could see changes to the frequency of services when the new West of England mayor takes office. Martock is to host its first Pride event in June...and more.