Medway Council’s priority continues to be providing essential council services for its residents. The health and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority and we have robust business continuity plans in place to ensure we can continue to support the most vulnerable members of our community, as well as support our residents with critical day-to-day services. All of our sites and buildings remain open to the public including our libraries and leisure centres, museums and heritage sites. However, in line with government advice to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), we have taken the decision to cancel major events and all shows at The Brook and Central Theatres in Chatham up until the end of June. Events cancelled include:

• Big Splash, 4 April
• English Festival, 18 April
• Sweeps, 2 and 3 May
• Focus On Rainham, 16 May
• Cycling Festival, 13 to 21 June
• Dickens Festival, 13 and 14 June
• Armed Forces Day, 27 June
• Focus On Walderslade, 28 June

There are currently no plans to reschedule these events. Tickets holders will be contacted as soon as possible. All council sites and buildings remain open to the public, but under review. We have, however, cancelled group activities due to be held until the end of June at our libraries, community hubs, archives centre, museums and heritage sites. Leisure centres also remain open, with group classes continuing as usual. All of our Medway Adult Education classes have been cancelled until the end of June. If you have booked onto a course within this time, you will be contacted. We appreciate this may be disappointing news, but the health and wellbeing of everyone involved is paramount. Any news on school closures will be announced by each school through their usual processes. All other council services will continue to be delivered and we will continue to follow government advice and work with Public Health England to do everything we can to help prevent the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19).

Coronavirus symptoms

Stay at home if you have either:

• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
• a new, continuous cough – this means you’ve started coughing repeatedly

Length of time to stay at home:

• if you have symptoms, stay at home for 7 days
• if you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms