Agenda item - Presentation - Covid Recovery Plan Strategy and Update on Outbreak Control Plan

This will be a joint presentation by the Director of Public Health, Executive Director, Adult Social Care and the CCG which will update on the information provided to previous meetings and an update on the current situation in the city.

41.1    The Director of Public Health, Alistair Hill, gave a presentation (copy uploaded to the agenda pack on the council website) detailing the arrangements being put into place going forward both to seek to continue to contain the number of cases across the city and importantly to foster and sustain recovery and to build resilience in the event of any future spikes in infection rates. Although the mortality rate in the city remained relatively low compared to other parts of the country all partners were continuing to work to ensure that there was sufficient to respond effectively to any changes which took place. Details of infection levels and mortality rates week by week were shown. The slides accompanying this presentation were displayed at the meeting and would also be attached to the agenda and council website. Data provided related to the period up to 20 January 2021.

41.2    A summary was provided in respect of health and care settings and in relation to the ratio of service users to staff testing positive. The challenge was in finding the balance between enabling visits and protecting residents and staff. Whilst in recent weeks there had been fewer cases across the city it was too early to conclude that this represented a sustained downward trend as that decline was almost entirely attributable to fewer cases in young adults, explainable in part to fewer cases in students. Currently, the case rate was stable in working age and older adults, with cases associated with a wide range f settings and places with older people having being at higher risk of complications and hospital admissions. Therefore, the impact on the health and care system was significant. Lockdown presented an opportunity to drive down the R rate and to reduce and prevent pressure on health services and to maintain manageable infection levels.

41.3    Details of the confirmed case rate, people receiving the PCR test, positivity case rates and comparisons with national case rates by age group were given. Whilst case rates had fallen rapidly, they still remained at a high level and the decline in cases was slower in the 60 plus age group. Pressures on health and care services remained at a high level and the reported number of death s was still increasing. Vaccination would be rolling out imminently but it was important that guidance continued to be followed rigorously to ensure infection prevention and control. Further work was continuing on the responses to be used in different settings, also test, trace and isolate, linking with NHS Test and Trace and local testing partnership arrangements. There was a focus on Covid 19 vaccination, non-pharmaceutical interventions and guidance around the regulations including social distancing and use of face coverings.

41.4    RESOLVED – That the contents of the presentation be noted and received.