Current UK Risk Level: HIGH
The risk to the UK remains high (as of 13/03/2020).
As of week commencing 11/05/2020, weâre moving into Phase two (Smarter controls) of the Governmentâs recovery strategy. As per PMâs 11 May message, the country is in the process of moving from Level 4 to Level 3 by the new COVID Alert System and taking the first step in relaxing lockdown measures â According to the PMâs statement âThanks to the hard work and sacrifices of the British people in this lockdown, we have helped to bring the R level down and we are now in a position to begin moving to Level 3, in stepsâ.
Please note the Governmentâs messaging is now âstay alert, control the virus, save livesâ (previously âstay at home, protect the NHS, save livesâ)
Current UK Situation
- As of 9am on 27 May, 1,126,208 people have been tested, of which 267,240 tested positive. As of 5pm on 26 May, of those tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, 37,460 have died. 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:
|
Ipswich |
346 |
251.6 per 100,000 resident |
|
East Suffolk |
589 |
237.3 per 100,000 resident |
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Mid Suffolk |
169 |
164.9 per 100,000 resident |
|
Babergh |
146 |
159.7 per 100,000 resident |
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West Suffolk |
220 |
123.0 per 100,000 resident |
|
Suffolk |
1,470 |
193.8 per 100,000 resident |
- Governmentâs daily COVID-19 press conference: 27 May 2020 â as of 10AM, transcript not available
o Archive of slides, datasets and transcripts to accompany coronavirus press conferences available here.
· Government launches NHS Test and Trace service â The new NHS Test and Trace service is launching today (28 May), including 25,000 dedicated contact tracing staff working with Public Health England who will have the capacity to trace the contacts of 10,000 people who test positive for coronavirus per day and can be scaled up if needed. From today, anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact, or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes. People who are contacted by the NHS Test and Trace service will be given clear information explaining what they must do and how they can access local support if needed. This will be complemented by the rollout of the NHS COVID-19 App in the coming weeks. The new guidance means:
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- Anyone with a new, continuous cough, a high temperature or a change in their sense of smell or taste is asked to immediately report these symptoms and book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus.
- Anyone (all ages) with symptoms will be tested and their close contacts will be traced.
- Those who have been in close contact with someone who tests positive must isolate for 14 days, even if they have no symptoms.
- If those in isolation develop symptoms, they can book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. If they test positive, they must continue to stay at home for 7 days or until their symptoms have passed. If they test negative, they must complete the 14-day isolation period. embers of their household will not have to stay at home unless the person identified becomes symptomatic, at which point they must also self-isolate for 14 days to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
Illustrative explanation of the new Test & Trace service:
Suffolk
Safe Active Travel Improvements: Suffolk has been allocated £337,000 from the Department of Transport for safe, active travel improvements for cycling and walking. We have an essential role to play in helping avoid overcrowding on public transport systems as we begin to open parts of our economy. We also have a window of opportunity to act now to embed walking and cycling as part of new long term commuting habits and reap the associated health, air quality and congestion benefits.
Safeguarding Video: The Suffolk Safeguarding Partnership have created the following video is to raise awareness of safeguarding for children and adults at risk and tell members of the public what to do if they see something that doesnât seem quite right. During this challenging time, it will be even harder for children and adults who are already vulnerable to tell us what is happening to them. We are all responsible for safeguarding and now more than ever it is important that we are alert to the signs of abuse and neglect. Click here to see the video, please share this amongst your networks.
Clap for Carers: It is Thursday once again so please donât forget to #ClapforCarers tonight at 8pm and to praise the NHS. Our local hospitals have asked that people please donât go to hospital to clap but stay at home and clap from doorsteps. It is absolutely right that we show the NHS our support and appreciation for all their tireless work but it is also worth remembering our other unsung heroes; care workers, social workers, family carers, foster carers, to name a few, during this show of appreciation.. 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 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.
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Title |
Who For |
Comments |
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NEW |
Everyone |
An overview of the NHS test and trace service, including what happens if you test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) or have had close contact with someone who has tested positive. |
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NEW |
employers, businesses and workers |
Guidance on the NHS test and trace service for employers, businesses and workers. |
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NEW |
people who have been notified by NHS Test and Trace that they are a contact of a person who has had a positive test result for coronavirus |
Guidance for contacts of a person with a positive test result for coronavirus (COVID-19) who do not live with that person. |
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UPDATED |
Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for schools and other educational settings |
staff, parents and carers, pupils and students. |
Updated: |
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1 |
General Public |
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2 |
Main cover webpage for all government guidance for public & professionals alike |
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3 |
Main collection of guidance for anyone in any setting |
Guidance includes: |
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4 |
Mental health support and advice from: |
General public, staff and carers |
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5 |
Chronic disease self- care during COVID-19: |
General public |
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6 |
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) COVID-19 homepage |
Professionals |
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Local Resources:
Below are any local resources that would be relevant to Suffolk County Council and our partners.
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Title |
Who For |
Comments |
|
NEW |
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. |
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Suffolk Domestic Abuse 24/7 Helpline â 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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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Everyone |
This page contains links to a wealth of resources and support for your health and wellbeing. |
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Everyone |
Suffolk County Council coronavirus (COVID-19) information, including health advice, service changes, business support and schools guidance. |
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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 â reports available here
- WHO RISK ASSESSMENT (Global Level) – Very High
- WHO Covid-19 Dashboard for professionals using near real time data.
- GOARN COVID-19 Knowledge hub – central repository of quality public health information, guidance, tools and webinars which can be accessed freely at any point.
- A scientific brief has been published by WHO investigating any association between smoking and an increased risk for COVID-19. At the time of this review, the available evidence suggests that in hospitalized COVID-19 patients, smoking is associated with increased severity of disease and death.
Situation in Numbers WHO SitRep 128, 27 May
