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 Situation

 

UK

• As of 9am on 30 March 2020, a total of 134,946 people have been tested, of which 112,805 were confirmed negative and 22,141 were confirmed positive. As of 5pm on 29 March 2020 (UK deaths are confirmed every day at 17:00 hrs), 1,408 patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have died.
• In Suffolk we have 100 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.
• Foreign Secretary’s statement on coronavirus (COVID-19): 30 March 2020
  • The current focus is to slow the spread of the virus, so fewer people need hospital treatment at any one time, thereby protecting the NHS’ capacity.
  • Unprecedented action is being taken to increase NHS capacity by dramatically expanding the numbers of beds, key staff, life-saving equipment on the frontline
  • Reminder that on 17 March people were advised against all non-essential travel around the world, and on 23 March all UK residents who were currently travelling abroad were advised to return home. The government is collaborating with countries across the world and airline industry to facilitate repatriation flights.
  • Press conference slides used by Sir Patrick Vallance showing transport use change, new UK cases, hospital admissions, and global comparison of deaths available here
  • We must stay at home to protect our NHS and save lives.
• The country’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance says there are early signs the lockdown measures are making a difference. Deaths rose to 1,408 on Monday, but Sir Patrick Vallance said the number of additional patients being seen by the NHS each day was “stable” – potentially a positive indication.
• The Foreign Office has announced a new Government partnership with airlines to fly back more tourists stranded abroad due to the coronavirus outbreak. Further details on the policy paper available here.
• Coronavirus (COVID-19): ministerial direction on spend – These letters authorise the Department of Health and Social Care and its ALBs to continue to authorise and spend money on urgent coronavirus issues, even if this would mean that spending is in excess of departmental expenditure limits authorised by Parliament through the estimates process.
• Voucher scheme launches for schools providing free school meals – Weekly shopping vouchers worth £15 to spend at supermarkets while schools are closed due to coronavirus
• NHS support via text message for people with symptoms of Covid-19 – People staying at home suffering with suspected coronavirus symptoms will get regular check-ins from a new NHS messaging service launched 28 Mar.
• Airline cabin crew to join NHS nightingale carers – The NHS has enlisted easyJet and Virgin Atlantic to work alongside NHS clinicians at new Nightingale hospitals as part of the fight against coronavirus.

 

Suffolk

• School Easter Holidays: Schools and Early Years Settings are a crucial part of our response to the Covid-19 pandemic and without the hard work and dedication of school and early years leaders and staff many key workers would be unable to continue delivering essential services. Therefore, over the Easter break schools and Early Years Settings in Suffolk are putting in arrangements to allow children of key workers and vulnerable children who need to attend school to do so. In some schools this may include opening over bank holidays. Schools and Early Year Settings across Suffolk will all be delivering this in slightly different ways – with some developing local collaborations – so parents are advised to contact their school directly to find out more information.
• Community: A number of staff from Suffolk County Council gave up their free time over the weekend of 28/29 March to volunteer in efforts to support particularly vulnerable residents across the county, making over 400 welfare calls to residents who have been identified through the Government’s Covid-19 ‘Shielding’ programme as being potentially at risk or in need of additional support during this challenging time. As a result, around 28 essential food packages were prepared and then distributed to residents who confirmed during their conversations that they were in need of essential supplies but had no way of getting them. Work continues over coming days to identify and support such residents locally as the Government continues to roll out its programme of support.
• PPE: A central PPE team is managing our response to the PPE needs across Suffolk and are co-ordinating getting equipment to our critical frontline teams as a priority. Alongside the effort to procure PPE we have developed further guidance to support staff and providers to understand when PPE is required and how it should be used. If you have any queries or questions, please contact the ppe@suffolk.gov.uk
• Suffolk Trading Standards: Beware of these fake message claiming to be from the Government offering all residents money to help them during the c19 pandemic. Report all scams to us via 0808 223 1133.

             

              

 

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	Temporary approval of home use for both stages of early medical abortion	Clinicians and women in early medical abortion	women and girls will be able to take both pills for early medical abortion up to 10 weeks in their own homes, without the need to first attend a hospital or clinic registered medical practitioners (doctors) will be able to prescribe both pills for the treatment of early medical abortion up to 10 weeks from their own homes This is a temporary approval in light of coronavirus (COVID-19).
UPDATED	COVID-19: guidance on supporting children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing	parents and carers on looking after children or young people	Added easy-read guide.
UPDATED	COVID-19: guidance on social distancing and for vulnerable people	Everyone	Added new easy-read guidance on ‘Staying at home’ and ‘Keeping away from other people’.
UPDATED	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	Added translated guidance
UPDATED	Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for schools and other educational settings	staff, parents and carers, pupils and students.	Added guidance on school food contracts and the national voucher scheme, including how to order. Also added a question and answer section.
UPDATED	Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on business support grant funding	businesses	Version 3 published with updates on State Aid, monitoring and reporting requirements, new annexes on state aid, Spotlight, and post payment checks, clarification of eligibility of charities.
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	PHE Health Matters	Post on General FAQs that include a section to submit questions at the bottom of the page.
9	PHE Campaign Resource Centre	Range of comms resources that can be used
10	COVID-19: guidance for the public on mental health and wellbeing	Everyone
11	Mental health support and advice from: WHO mentalhealth.org.uk Ipswich & East CCG Living Life To The Full NHS Practitioner Wellbeing	General public, staff and carers
12	Chronic disease self- care during COVID-19: Asthma Diabetes	General public
13	COVID-19: cleaning of non-healthcare settings	non-healthcare settings
14	Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for local government	Local councils
15	COVID-19 essential travel guidance	Public
16	Further businesses and premises to close	businesses
17	COVID-19: guidance for employees, employers and businesses	employees, employers and businesses

 

 

Global – WHO Situation Report

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

Situation in Numbers WHO SitRep 70, 30 Mar  (new since last 24hrs)

Location	Confirmed	Deaths
Globally	693 224 confirmed (58 411)	33 106 deaths (3215)
Western Pacific Region	103 775 confirmed (987)	3649 deaths (23)
European Region	392 757 confirmed (31 726)	23 962 deaths (2535)
South-East Asia	4084 confirmed (375)	158 deaths (19)
Eastern Mediterranean Region	46 329 confirmed (3552)	2813 deaths (145)
Regions of the Americas	142 081 confirmed (21 289)	2457 deaths (484)
African Region	3486 confirmed (482)	60 deaths (09)