MORE than 2,500 households have asked for help during the coronavirus crisis since Oxford City Council and Oxford Hub launched a new support service on March 26.

The council received 244 new calls and online requests for emergency support during the last two weeks of May – bringing the total to 2,537 since lockdown began.

The need for urgent supplies and help picking up shopping were the top reasons, with 101 and 39 requests respectively.

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In May there were 796 new requests for support, compared to 1,577 in April and 164 in March.

With a daily average of 26 new support requests the busiest day last month was Wednesday, May 6, when 65 people asked for help.

In April there were an average 53 new requests each day and this peaked with the 106 people who asked for help on Monday, April 20.

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The need for emergency support varies across Oxford. The areas with the highest numbers of support requests are Blackbird Leys, Rose Hill and Iffley and Northfield Brook.

Oxford residents can ask for help during the coronavirus crisis by calling the council on 01865 249811 or completing the online form at oxford.gov.uk/CommunityAssistance

Support is available for urgent problems like getting food, picking up shopping or prescriptions and coping with the effects of self-isolation.

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Easing of lockdown measures means that people on the shielded list can now leave their homes if they are able to maintain physical distancing.

However, new government guidance emphasises that they are still vulnerable and the council is calling everyone on the shielded patient list to make sure they know what support is available and offer help if needed.

On top of this, the council is calling people who received an NHS letter but did not then register on the shielded patient list. It is also using its own records to call everyone on the electoral register aged over 70.

Once all calls have been completed, staff working in the locality response hubs will carry out in-person checks on people who did not respond to phone calls.