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Agenda item
COVID-19 Update
(Jane Hartnell, Managing Director)
Minutes:
The Managing Director gave an update on the COVID-19 situation within the town and the impact on the council’s work. There has been a sharp increase in cases of COVID within the town and worryingly it looks like the infection period was during the second lockdown. A bigger communications strategy has been planned to reinforce the protective social distancing measures people need to undertake in order to remain safe.
It was recognised that this was a particularly challenging time for people who are having to go out for various reasons such as work and education. There is a strong need to follow the rules in order to protect each other, local businesses and the NHS.
There are plans in place for Christmas cover that range from providing emergency food to having officers on call for COVID-19 safe rest centres. Officers have been directed to work from home but despite this measure 3 senior task force members have caught COVID. Other Officers have been re assigned to other services in order to support key areas such as the community hub and the cemetery & crematorium. The council is still looking at retraining officers in case there is a need to divert resources. There are officers working with local businesses and the council now has in place COVID compliance officers to help with this.
There are now COVID testing sites for residents to use and as a council we are encouraging people with even the mildest symptoms to get tested. The council recognises that the vaccine rollout won’t be a quick process and will be happy to help in any way needed.
The council continues to plan for recovery and events such as the forthcoming elections and the impact of Brexit.
Despite COVID-19 impact there are still lots of positive things occurring within the council. The Town Deal and the Local Plan are just a few examples of forthcoming projects that will impact residents positively.
The Chair thanked the Managing Director and invited questions from the committee.
Councillors asked questions about the COVID-19 testing centres and whether residents should book tests even if they are asymptomatic. This is currently not a government strategy, but we do know that COVID-19 transmission has occurred by asymptomatic people. The council is encouraging residents even with the mildest symptoms to get tested.
Councillors commented on residents’ complaints about the NHS 111 service as residents have not received the call backs promised. The councillors also why the initial vaccine rollout didn’t include frontline workers which they felt was a mistake given the high risks this group was experiencing.
Councillors highlighted that there has been a great deal of change in the working arrangements for officers. Would any lessons be learned from this that could result in a new way of working or potential savings? The response from the Managing Director was that prior to the COVID-19 crisis there was a resistant to working online but now many officers have embraced it. There were still those that found working from home difficult for several reasons and the council would likely offer office working for people which make be temporary such as when new people join the organisation.
There many positive reasons for working from home and the office space should be used for the most beneficial reasons. In the future the council can look at how much office space it needs and look to either selling or renting out the existing spaces it owns.
The councillors drew attention to the impact COVID-19 has had on education provision and quality for the pupils in the community. It was noted how many low incomes and BAME communities had been more effected by COVID than any other community. The council was looking at how it could immediately support communities and realised the broader impact that shutting schools had. Moving forward we would be looking at how we could be working together better on things.
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