Suffolk County Council – Covid-19 Bulletin – 9th July

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Current UK Alert Level: 3

On 19/06/2020 update from the UK Chief Medical Officers on the UK alert level confirmed that the UK COVID-19 alert level has been lowered from risk level 4 to risk level 3. It does not mean that the pandemic is over. The virus is still in general circulation, and localised outbreaks are likely to occur.

 

Please note the Government’s messaging is ‘stay alert, control the virus, save lives’ (previously ‘stay at home, protect the NHS, save lives’)

 

 

 

 

Current UK Situation

As of 9am 9 July, 286,979 people have tested positive for COVID-19 in the UK (pillar 1 and pillar 2 testing). As of 5pm 8 July, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 44,517 have died across all settings. You can view the latest UK dashboard and cases by local authority here. Confirmed cases in Suffolk are broken down by Districts & Boroughs as follows – please note that these case numbers and the rates per 100,000 population  cannot  be compared with the case numbers and rates given in previous bulletins. From 2 July, the number of lab-confirmed positive cases now includes those identified by testing in all settings (pillars 1 and 2). Pillar 2 refers to tests in commercial labs working in partnership with the NHS. Previously, only Pillar 1 confirmed cases were included (tests completed in NHS labs). Due to this change many cases previously not attributed to any area are now included in area totals. This is not a recent surge in cases – the cases now being reported occurred from April onwards. As this quality of this data continues to improve, these numbers may continue to fluctuate over time, but overall, case numbers and case rates in Suffolk remain low compared to the East of England and England as a whole.  Compared to the previous briefing: 1 case has been added in West Suffolk, 4 cases have been added for Ipswich.

 

Ipswich

696

506.1 per 100,000 residents

East Suffolk

864

348.0 per 100,000 residents

Mid Suffolk

324

316.1 per 100,000 residents

Babergh

259

283.4 per 100,000 residents

West Suffolk

476

266.1 per 100,000 residents

Suffolk

East of England

England

2,619

23,518

246,992

345.3     per 100,000 residents

379.2   per 100,000 residents

441.2   per 100,000 residents

 

COVID-19 related news from GOV.UK

  • Support jobs with the Job Retention Bonus to help businesses keep furloughed workers. UK Employers will receive a one-off bonus of £1,000 for each furloughed employee who is still employed as of 31 January 2021
  • Expand Worksearch Support including a Flexible Support Fund and a £2 billion Kickstart scheme to subsidise jobs for young people
  • Create jobs in the construction and housing sectors through funding to decarbonise public sector buildings, a demonstrator project to decarbonise social housing and funding to support research and development for Direct Air Capture (as announced by the PM on 30 June)
  • Protect jobs with VAT cuts for hospitality and tourism, as well as a Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme

The Chancellor set out the next steps in the UK Government’s strategy to secure Scotland’s economic recovery from coronavirus – announcing a “Plan for Jobs” to level up, spread opportunity and unite the UK. The Summer Economic Update confirms an additional £800 million of Covid-19 funding for the Scottish Government through the Barnett formula. The UK Government is now providing £4.6 billion through the Barnett formula to help the Scottish Government support the economy

  • Supported the poorest working households the most (as a proportion of February income)
  • Constituted around a fifth of incomes for working households (on average)
  • Reduced the scale of losses for working households by up to two-thirds
  • OpenSmartEdu: The goal of OpenSmartEdu is to offer a tailored selection of key tools and resources that will allow institutions to quickly and easily access the information to open safely. It offers the use of three planning tools:
  • COVID-19 Planning Guide and Self-Assessment for Higher Education
  • COVID-19 Self-Assessment Calculator for Higher Education
  • Higher Education Planning Tool (Powered by Smartsheet™)

 

Other COVID-19 related news

  • BBC News: Leicester lockdown, No plans for extra Covid cash, minister says: Businesses in Leicester had expected extra help after they were ordered to close on 30 June following a spike in Covid-19 cases. A letter from Business Minister Nadhim Zahawi said there were no plans to change or extend any current schemes. Ms Kendall, the MP for Leicester West, urged Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Prime Minister Boris Johnson to “think again”.
  • BBC News Public spending on COVID-19 crisis soars to £190bn: Public spending on the battle against coronavirus has risen to nearly £190bn, according to latest Treasury figures. It comes after Chancellor Rishi Sunak announced another £30bn of support in his summer statement on Wednesday. The extra money is worth nearly £3,000 for every person in the UK – and more than the entire planned health budget for 2020-21.
  • BBC News: Police powers: Police have the biggest responsibility for enforcing coronavirus laws – the rules that everyone must follow. These differ across the UK’s four nations. But not everything that the public are asked to do is a legal requirement. For example legally you may have up to 30 people in your garden in a private party, however the government guidance which is not a legal obligation is the following ,“You should only be socialising in groups of up to two households (including your support bubble) indoors and outdoors or up to six people from different households when outdoors.”
  • BBC News: Masks in the oceans: As the world battles the coronavirus pandemic, more and more protective equipment is ending up in the sea. Globally we are using 129 billion face masks and 65 billion plastic gloves every month, according to some estimates.

BBC global picture:

  • India has the world’s 3rd largest caseload of coronavirus, and has overtaken Russia
  • Trump administration says US schools should open despite the US passing 3 Million coronavirus cases
  • Oxfam says 12,000 people a day could die from hunger associated with coronavirus disruptions than the disease itself

 

Suffolk

 

Suffolk Coronawatch dashboard: Suffolk County Council’s Public Health team have launched an online ‘Coronawatch’ dashboard to gather all publicly available data on COVID-19 in Suffolk in one place. You will be able to access national and local data including confirmed cases of coronavirus (COVID-19), Deaths from coronavirus, Care home outbreaks and Google social mobility data from the dashboard along with a series of briefings which have been produced on related topics, all from publicly available sources. Visit the Coronawatch Dashboard: www.healthysuffolk.org.uk/jsna/coronawatch

 

Mobile Testing Units: Visit www.suffolk.gov.uk/testing for newly published dates for mobile testing units across Suffolk. These dates are for the week commencing 13 July and are subject to change, so please check back regularly. 99.9% of households in Suffolk can now access a test centre within a 30 minute drive. It is important that anyone with coronavirus symptoms starts isolating and gets tested. Tests can be booked at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119

 

East Suffolk Scheme for Street and Market Traders: East Suffolk Council is introducing a scheme for street and market traders, which it hopes will make it easier for events to take place and breathe new life in to high streets as the district looks to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. Some towns in East Suffolk are currently subject to street trading regulations, which ordinarily require a range of criteria to be met and fees to be paid. However, for a limited period, the Council will view street markets, fairs, and other related commercial events as community enterprises, which do not need a street trading consent. The Council wants to encourage these outdoor events, during the summer months, and make sure they can be organised with a ‘light touch’ approach. Click here for more information.

 

Coronavirus Catch ups: Chief Executive of Healthwatch Suffolk, Andy Yacoub, is recording short interviews with some of Suffolk’s most prominent health, care and community leaders. The catch-ups aim to make leadership visible, highlight how services have been changing during this pandemic, their biggest challenges so far and what it all might mean for the future of support. Click here to find out more.

 

 

Key National Guidance updates

The existing guidance is being updated extremely regularly so please check any guidance relevant to your area to ensure that you are accessing the most up to date version. We are not including in this table all the published material but some of the key guidance that would be relevant to Suffolk County Council and our partners.

 

 

Title

Who For

Comments

NEW

COVID-19: potentially infectious people, guidance for public health officers

 

Public Health Officials

To manage the spread of coronavirus, the Coronavirus Act 2020 (“the Act”) provides Public Health Officers (PHO) with powers to control the spread of coronavirus in the UK. Some of these powers existed already for England in The Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations 2020.  However, the Act replaces these regulations with a consistent, UK-wide, approach and includes certain new powers for immigration officers and constables.

NEW

Thousands of business advisers to offer free services to small firms

 

Business owners

The Recovery Advice for Business scheme, supported by the government and hosted on the Enterprise Nation website, will give small firms access to free, one-to-one advice with an expert adviser to help them through the coronavirus pandemic and to prepare for long-term recovery. The platform is now live.

UPDATED

Local lockdowns: guidance for education and childcare settings

 

Nursery and education establishments

Early years providers, schools and colleges in Leicester and the affected parts of Leicestershire are to remain open only for priority groups – children of critical workers and all vulnerable children and young people.

 

UPDATED

Actions for further education colleges and providers during the coronavirus outbreak

 

Colleges and further education establishments

From 13 July providers can welcome back priority 19+ learners provided guidance action in place.

 

 

Useful Websites

 

 

Title

Who For

Comments

1

NHS – COVID-19 go-to page

General Public

 

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

Guidance includes:
– Guidance for the public (incl. social distancing and shielding)
– Guidance for non-clinical settings (incl. cleaning, educational settings, employees, employers, businesses, residential care, supported living and home care)
– Guidance for health professionals
– Infection prevention and control (incl. PPE)
– Sampling and diagnostics

4

Heatwave Plan for England

Professionals

 

5

Mental health support and advice from:

General public, staff and carers

 

6

Chronic disease self- care during COVID-19:

General public

 

7

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) COVID-19 homepage

Professionals

 

8

Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker

Professionals

The tracker compares worldwide government responses to the coronavirus rigorously and consistently. The Oxford team collects information on common policy responses, scores the stringency of such measures, and aggregates these into a Stringency Index.

 

 

Local Resources:

Below are any local resources that would be relevant to Suffolk County Council and our partners.  

 

 

Title

Who For

Comments

 

Mobile Testing Units in Suffolk

Everyone

It is important that anyone with coronavirus symptoms gets tested. Mobile testing units are mobilised by the Ministry of Defence and regularly appear across Suffolk. Please share details of the testing sites with your local community – see under Where can I get tested in Suffolk?

 

Support from the Suffolk Growth Programme Board (SGPB)

Everyone

SGPB is a partnership of all Suffolk local authorities, Suffolk Chamber of Commerce, University of Suffolk and New Anglia LEP. In Suffolk our Economy & business recovery work for COVID-19 is being led by SGPB and the website includes links to funding / surveys / economic impact work. Please do pass this information on to your contacts.

 

Suffolk Domestic Abuse 24/7 Helpline – Freephone 0800 977 5690

Everyone

The freephone number is live from 9am on Friday 22nd May 2020 for anyone with concerns including professionals who may be supporting clients as well as friends and family members who are concerned for loved ones.

 

New Anglia: Employment Opportunities in Key Sectors in Norfolk and Suffolk  

Individuals and Businesses wanting to know what employment opportunities are available in some of our key sectors

The New Anglia LEP – alongside other partners including local authorities – have pulled together lists and links to key employment roles needed now as part of the response to the current crisis.

 

Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership

Everyone

The website aims to help everyone understand the signs of neglect or abuse and what to do if they are worried about a child or an adult.

 

NEW ANGLIA GROWTH HUB

Businesses needing support

­

A one stop shop source of information for government support and guidance available to  businesses including 121 business advice sources of business grants and loans.

 

Healthy Suffolk: COVID-19 Emotional Wellbeing, Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Information Hub

Everyone

This page contains links to a wealth of resources and support for your health and wellbeing.

 

Suffolk County Council: Coronavirus information

Everyone

Suffolk County Council coronavirus (COVID-19) information, including health advice, service changes, business support and schools guidance.

 

Keep Moving Suffolk

Everyone

The website contains free resources, ideas, tips, useful links and positive stories to encourage people to stay active during these unprecedented times.  The website and our social channels will be constantly updated.

 

 

Global: WHO Situation Report – reports available here

 

Situation in Numbers WHO SitRep 170, 8 July

 

 

 

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