Suffolk County Council – Covid-19 Briefing – 9 April 2020

Current UK Risk Level: HIGH

The risk to the UK has been raised to high (as of 13/03/2020).

As of 13 Mar, UK is in the ‘delay’ phase of the government’s action plan to limit the spread of the virus.

 

Current UK Situation

  • As of 9am on 8 April, 232,708 people have been tested, of whom 60,773 tested positive. As of 5pm on 7 April, of those hospitalised in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus, 7,097 have died. Full details and latest numbers are available here.
  • In Suffolk we have 302 confirmed cases. However, with routine community testing discontinued, these figures will not describe the full extent of cases locally. You can view the latest UK dashboard of cases by local authority here.
  • Government’s daily press conference (8 April 2020) – as of 11:30, transcript not available
    • Press conference slides with the latest data from COBR coronavirus fact file (transport use, new cases, hospital admissions, deaths) and datasets available here.
    • View past press conferences on YouTube.
  • NHS works with tech firms to help care home residents and patients connect with loved ones – Thousands of isolated residents and patients will be able to connect with their family and friends with video call devices, the government has announced.
  • BBC: Ministers to discuss UK lockdown review
  • WHO: Advice on the use of masks in the context of COVID-19 (6 April 2020) – Highlights that medical masks should be reserved for health care workers. The use of medical masks in the community may create a false sense of security, with neglect of other essential measures, such as hand hygiene practices and physical distancing.

 

Suffolk

 

 

  • Care Act 2014 (Care Act Easements): On 31 March 2020 Government brought into force regulations that provide Local Authorities with discretionary powers to streamline assessments, reviews and care planning, and to prioritise the urgent and acute care and support needs of those most vulnerable during the critical period of the COVID-19 pandemic. These measures are temporary and only to be used when necessary, based on the Councils judgement of its ability to meet the needs of local people in a Care Act compliant way. Across Suffolk we are currently operating under flexibilities within the Care Act. If, and when, a decision is made to operate under the Care A ct Easements this will be undertaken with a measured and appropriate approach. At present our services are: and the wider social movement restriction imposed by government. This has inevitably resulted in changes to the way existing customer
  • Responding to the impact of social distancing, social-isolation s are having their care and support needs met.
  • Developing plans with customers, families, care providers and health partners to keep people safe, well and cared for, as the crisis develops.
  • Exploring alternative ways of meeting customer needs through the use of digital technologies, voluntary care sector and wider community initiatives
  • Working intensively with the care market to monitor (using RAG ratings) the resilience and capacity of service providers to maintaining existing provision and to scale up capacity 

 

  • PPE update:  Yesterday (8 April 2020) SCC received a PPE delivery from the Local resilience forum: Ministry of housing communities and local government, which was very welcome and will support ongoing PPE demands across Suffolk. Stock is urgently being sent out to the care sector, home first, social workers, funeral directors, district and borough councils, police and fire service…. to mention a few. The PPE cell is operating to support all NHS PPE needs and prioritising PPE for service areas with confirmed/suspected cases of COVID 19. SCC are prioritising appropriate protection for our front line staff to minimise the spread of the virus and are ensuring that PPE used appropriately by following Public Health England guidance, this will ensure we are protecting valuable stock levels. Good progress is being made and military planners are on site to support with logistics.

 

  • Fake Covid-19 Testing Kits: Suffolk Trading Standards have become aware that individuals on social media are claiming to sell fake coronavirus (COVID-19) home testing kits. If you spot posts claiming to sell these items, report the to the MHRA Yellow Card Scheme https://yellowcard.mhra.gov.uk/

 

  • Safeguarding guide for volunteers: Community Action Suffolk have put together a 30 minute safeguarding guide to help volunteers who are briefing visiting peoples’ homes (e.g. with food or medicine deliveries) to spot those who are at risk of arm and neglect and how to report it. More information can be found here www.communityactionsuffolk.org.uk/covid-19-response/covid-response-communities/

 

 

 

  • Digital safety guide for children: The Children’s Commissioner have produced a digital safety and wellbeing kit for parents and a safety guide for children to help ensure they are safe and their wellbeing is looked after while at home during the coronavirus outbreak when screen time. The digital safety and wellbeing kit provides useful tips and guidance to help protect children on a range of issues including video calling, how to ensure devices and web browsers are set up and updated correctly and tips regarding best practise with usernames and passwords. For more information and to access the guides visit; https://www.childrenscommissioner.gov.uk/coronavirus/digital-safety-and-wellbeing-kit/  

 

 

  • Bin Collections: A reminder that on bin collection days everyone is encouraged to thoroughly wash their hands after putting the bin put and getting back inside again. Also, everyone is asked to wash their bin handle and lids before and after collections to help minimise the spread of any germs.

 

  • School Travel: SCC understand that this is a challenging time for parents but SCC still need parents to opt in for school travel if their child is eligible. If a child is eligible for SCC funded School Travel their parents must opt in by 31 May 2020 to receive travel for the start of the 2020/2021 school term. If their child already receives SCC funded travel they still need to opt in every year. To find out more visit www.suffolkonboard.com/optin. Parents should not be applying for a reception age child until they have received their school place offer on the 16 April 2020.

 

  • Clap for Carers: #ClapforCarers will now be a weekly event, taking place every Thursday at 8pm. SCC would once again like to encourage everyone to join in and to praise the NHS this evening. It is absolutely right that we show them our support and appreciation for all their tireless work. It might also be worth remembering our other unsung heroes during this show of appreciation. Our care workers who are visiting people in their homes to provide them with essential care, those working in our care and nursing homes who are supporting their residents through these worrying times. Our social workers who are continuing to support those people and families who need them now more than ever and our wonderful family carers, who continue to put the needs of their loved ones above their own needs. These incredible people are showing great strength and dedication to others and are often doing this quietly in the background, just getting on and doing what needs to be done. Each and every one of them deserves to feel the support of the rest of the nation, so please try to think of them while we applaud our brilliant NHS this evening.

 

 

 

Useful Websites (any new guidance is in RED)

The existing guidance is being updated extremely regularly (and in some cases daily) so please check any guidance relevant to your area to ensure that you are accessing the most up to date version. I will only be able to highlight new published and some other key published guidance in this bulletin.

 

Title

Who For

Comments

NEW

Coronavirus (COVID-19): providing unpaid care

unpaid carers of family/friends

Information for people who are caring, unpaid, for friends or family during the coronavirus outbreak.

UPDATED

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for schools and other educational settings

staff, parents and carers, pupils and students.

Added ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): school and college performance measures’.

Updated ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on isolation for residential educational settings’

UPDATED

COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses

employees, employers and businesses

Added links to the business grant funding guidance, and the expanded retail discount guidance for local authorities.

UPDATED

Coronavirus (COVID-19): hospital discharge service requirements

health and care systems and providers

Added translated versions of patient discharge leaflets.

UPDATED

Travel advice: coronavirus (COVID-19)

General public travelling and living overseas

Added guidance on ‘Coronavirus (COVID-19): staying where you are if you cannot return to the UK’

1

NHS – COVID-19 go-to page

General Public – this is the only site we should be promoting to the public for information

 

2

GOV.UK – COVID-19 homepage

Main cover webpage for all government guidance for public & professionals alike

 

3

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance

Main collection of guidance for anyone in any setting
– for non-clinical settings
– for health professionals

 

4

Full guidance on staying at home and away from others

Everyone

The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.

5

COVID-19: guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection

households with possible infection

 

6

Coronavirus outbreak FAQs: what you can and can’t do

Everyone

 

7

Coronavirus: How to help safely

Everyone

 

8

COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people

Everyone

 

9

COVID-19: guidance on shielding and protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable

All adults and children who should be shielded and their family, friends, and carers

 

10

COVID-19: guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing

Everyone

 

11

COVID-19: guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing

parents and carers on looking after children or young people

 

12

Mental health support and advice from:

General public, staff and carers

 

13

Chronic disease self- care during COVID-19:

General public

 

14

COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings

non-healthcare settings

 

15

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government

Local councils

 

16

COVID-19 essential travel guidance

Public

 

17

Further businesses and premises to close

businesses

 

18

COVID-19: infection prevention and control

health and care systems and providers

updated guidance from Public Health England on PPE, including:
Table 1 – Recommended PPE for healthcare workers by secondary care clinical context
Table 2 – Recommended PPE for primary, outpatient, and community care
Table 3 – Recommended PPE for ambulance, paramedics, first responders and pharmacists
Table 4 – Additional considerations for COVID-19

19

COVID-19: personal protective equipment use for non-aerosol generating procedures

health and care professionals

Added updated PPE video.

20

Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for children’s social care services

local authorities and their partners

 

21

Coronavirus (COVID-19) information leaflet

UK households

 

22

Coronavirus (COVID-19): transport and travel guidance

everyone using transport or working in the transport sector during the coronavirus outbreak.

 

 

 

Global: WHO Situation Report – reports available here

  • WHO RISK ASSESSMENT (Global Level) – Very High
  • WHO Covid-19 Dashboard for professionals using near real time data.

 

Situation in Numbers WHO SitRep 79, 8 April (new since last 24hrs)

Location

Confirmed

Deaths

Globally

1 353 361 confirmed (73 639)

79 235 deaths (6695)

Western Pacific Region

114 667 confirmed (1026)

3922 deaths (30)

European Region

720 219 confirmed (33 881)

57 639 deaths (4904)

South-East Asia

10 707 confirmed (1575)

426 deaths (64)

Eastern Mediterranean Region

81 993 confirmed (3428)

4314 deaths (165)

Regions of the Americas

417 416 confirmed (33 174)

12 597 deaths (1500)

African Region

7647 confirmed (555)

326 deaths (32)