Agenda item

Presentation attached

Members received a presentation on the Covid-19 Outbreak Management Plan.

The presentation outlined the number of current cases of Covid-19 in the borough. At present the number of positive tests in the borough ranged between 7 and 14. The current rate was approximately 5 positive tests per 100,000 residents. These figures were from people testing positive in the borough and not from BHRT hospital admission numbers.

Officers advised that the Coronavirus had not disappeared and there were still low levels of transmission as the lockdown was easing.

Lockdown had controlled the first wave of the disease but had itself caused economic and health harm.

Relaxation of social distancing was underway and there was no sign, so far, that new cases were increasing but the risk of further waves remained, which in turn would cause more deaths and significant ongoing health problems.

NHS test and trace had also been launched as additional control measure

The aim of the outbreak control planwas to minimise further harm to local residents and prevent local outbreaks by maintaining public support and compliance with social distancing and the NHS Test &Trace system. This wouldensure the borough was Covid secure and that an effective response to bring local outbreaks under control could be mobilised when required.

The current communications encouraged residents to “Keep Havering Safe” by carrying out hand washing and maintaining social distancing.

The Council was assisting with ensuring settings across the borough were compliant with relevant guidance, prioritising higher risk settings and providing support to encourage compliance with enforcement where this was necessary.

The report also highlighted the outbreak management plan process and the governance arrangements for the outbreak plan.

In relation to care homesresidents were highly vulnerable as had been evidenced across the country and worldwide. The next step would be to focus on the use of mass testing to minimise risk posed by asymptomatic carriage and to do more to prevent entry of Covid into the homes. The very elderly also sometimes developed different symptoms aside from the usual high temperature, continuous cough and changes in taste and smell. There were also plans in place to minimise the amount of different homes that agency staff visited to keep the virus controlled.

With regards to schools the priority was to minimise harm to children in  schools as closures harmed children and the economy. DfE guidance regarding social distancing and the physical redesign of classrooms to accommodate children of essential workers by the use of extended bubbles had enabled the return of Years Reception, 1 and 6. Schools were also considering staggering start and finish times for children. Transport to and from schools could prove to be a problem for many families and there was also likely to be an increase in private vehicle use as the use of public transport was currently discouraged.

In response to a question relating to businesses keeping open books of visitors which could lead to GDPR breaches and could encourage people to leave false details officers advised that there was guidance relating to this and that it was important to keep people’s confidence in the system. Once the 14day infectious period had ended then the data should be destroyed.

To the present date there had been no businesses in the borough that had reported a number of employees that had tested positive. There had been businesses across London that had reported cluster cases but there were none in Havering at present.

There had been 2000 tests carried out in the last week in Havering which had generated 10 positive cases. Havering’s rate of testing was comparable with other London boroughs. To date there had been no evidence of any clustering in any areas of the borough.

With regards to communications and getting the message across to hard to reach groups example of communication forms included social media, newsletters, webinars with faith based groups, texts, phone calls and email.

The Board noted the presentation.