Current UK Risk 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 Governmentâs messaging is âstay alert, control the virus, save livesâ (previously âstay at home, protect the NHS, save livesâ)
Current UK Situation
- As of 4pm on 22 June, 305,289 people have tested positive for coronavirus in the UK, of those, 42,647 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:
Ipswich |
352 |
255.9 per 100,000 resident |
East Suffolk |
625 |
251.8 per 100,000 resident |
Mid Suffolk |
183 |
178.5 per 100,000 resident |
Babergh |
154 |
168.5 per 100,000 resident |
West Suffolk |
235 |
131.4 per 100,000 resident |
Suffolk |
1,549 |
204.2 per 100,000 resident |
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*Please note numbers may go up or down as the reported data are continually checked and cleaned.
- The Governments most recent daily COVID-19 press briefing was given on June 22, by The Secretary of State, Matt Hancock and Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Jenny Harries. Archive of press conference slides, datasets and transcripts available here.
- The Secretary of state highlighted that the number of people going into hospital and the number of people in the most serious condition in hospital and ventilated beds are both coming down. This trend was observed regionally.
- For the first time since the peak, there were fewer than 5,000 people in hospital with Coronavirus
- A month ago, around one in 400 people had the virus. Now, the number is around one in 1,700.
- In the next briefing we can expect the prime minister to set out the next steps in the plan to ease the national lockdown
Dr Jenny Harries explained easing plans for the shielded population
o From 6th July, the advice will be that people who are shielding can start meeting in groups of up to six people outdoors, including those outside their household.
o If a shielded person lives alone or if they are a lone parent, they can think of forming a support bubble with another household.
o From 1st August, the plan is to pause shielding.
o When leaving home the advice is still very much to keep a safe distance from other people at all times, while maintaining good hand hygiene.
o Those who may not be able to work from home can return to work, as long as the business is COVID safe.
o More evidence concerning children and COVID-19 risk has become available. It is very likely that, in the future, very few children will need to shield.
o Both offered huge thanks to those individuals who have diligently shielded and the NHS clinicians who have supported them, thus helping to control COVID-19 transmissions, and keeping us all safe.
- Plans to ease guidance for over 2 million shielding– Millions of people shielding from coronavirus (COVID-19) will be advised they can spend more time outside their homes from Monday 6 July, the Health and Social Care Secretary has announced.
- Advisory guidance to be eased for 2.2 million clinically extremely vulnerable people across England, as virus infection rates continue to fall.
- From Monday 6th July, those shielding from coronavirus can gather in groups of up to 6 people outdoors and form a âsupport bubbleâ with another household.
- Government shielding support package will remain in place until the end of July when people will no longer be advised to shield
- Coronavirus and the social impacts on young and older people in Great Britain: 3 April to 10 May 2020. Indicators from the Opinions and Lifestyle Survey on the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on young and older people in Great Britain. This release uses five waves of survey results covering the period from 3 April 2020 to 10 May 2020.
- Main findings summary for over 60âs: Older people are experiencing some aspects of the lockdown situation differently from younger people, worrying less about finances but worrying more about access to essentials. Keeping in touch with friends and family remotely and doing activities such as gardening and reading are helping them cope. They are more likely to be looking out for their neighbours and feel supported by their local communities. Interestingly, people in their 60s are the least optimistic about when life will return to normal, with more than a quarter thinking it will take at least a year or will never return to normal.
- Main findings for younger people aged 16 to 29 years, summary: Younger people were generally more optimistic about lockdown, with more than half expecting life to return to normal within 6 months. One of their biggest worries was the impact on schools and universities, in particular being unable to attend them, the quality of their education and uncertainty around exams. While they were more optimistic, young people were much more likely to report being bored and lonely during the lockdown period, and 42% of them reported that it was making their mental health worse. They turned to TV, friends and family and exercise to help them cope during this time.
- BBC: Coronavirus: Male plasma contains higher levels of antibodies. Men who have had coronavirus are being urged to donate plasma from their blood to be used in research into treatments for Covid-19. Studies suggest men are more likely to become seriously ill and therefore produce higher levels of antibodies than women. This means their plasma could be more useful for saving lives.
- BBC: The people who are still shielding at home. Testimonials from those shielding, exploring the fear and excitement at easing of shielding rules.
- BBC: The virus hunter who got COVID. One of the worldâs leading infectious disease experts was struck down by COVID-19. Professor Peter Piot of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine gives an account of his experience and challenges with the illness.
- BBC: Cinemas and museums set to reopen in England from 4th July. Boris Johnson is expected to announce on Tuesday as he outlines a further easing of coronavirus restrictions.
BBC Global Picture
- Cases in Florida, USA surge pass 100,000, making it the 7th US state to reach this mark
- Saudi Arabia has said Hajj pilgrimage will go ahead but without any international visitors
- UN chief Antonio Guterres has thanked health workers for their âremarkable acts of service to humankindâ
- Jair Bolsonaro has again called for the easing of lockdown measures and the reopening of shops and businesses, a day after the country became only the second in the world to register more than 50,000 Covid-related deaths.
- A supercomputer in Japan is being deployed in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. The large machine, named Fugaku, is being used to simulate how droplets would spread in office spaces with partitions installed or in packed trains with the windows open.
Suffolk
Stick with it Suffolk: Life felt very different before COVID19 â But if we all keep following the guidance and doing our best to protect Suffolk, we will get back to those times again. The Suffolk resilience forum have produced the following video to encourage residents to stick with it Suffolk. Click here to view.
Test & Trace in Suffolk: We are making positive progress on the development of our Local Outbreak Control Plan and as part of this we have identified over 30 settings and cohorts that will require robust plans for both preventive actions and outbreak management as below:
- Complex settings; these include care homes, schools, workplaces and public spaces.
- Complex Groups; these include communities such as BAME, travellers, migrants and asylum seekers a
- Complex individuals which include those at risk of infection, mortality and morbidity.
The identification of these settings, groups and individuals has enabled risk assessments to be undertaken that have established how outbreaks can be managed including identifying clear pathways and named groups and individuals that can offer wrap around support. This work has also helped in the development of robust advice and guidance that will help to prevent outbreaks occurring.
The Local Outbreak Control Plan builds on existing regional outbreak control plans, applied specifically to coronavirus and will be implemented by 30th June. Work is continuing on the development of a central function to deliver and co-ordinate Suffolkâs response to outbreaks and preventative actions.
Covid-19 is still with us during the hot weather: With a predicted few days of hot weather ahead local GPs are encouraging people to keep cool and look out for others – and reminding everyone you can catch coronavirus no matter how sunny or hot the weather is. Click here to read more.
Coronavirus cases within care home settings: SCC will be reporting weekly on the number of suspected or confirmed cases within Suffolk care home settings, that Suffolk County Council has been made aware of. Below is a table showing the number of providers affected and the number of suspected and confirmed cases since reporting began on 21/04/2020. These figures are listed on area basis and will not include the details of any specific care homes. These figures include care homes, extra care housing and supported housing. As a notifiable disease, care homes are required to report any potential or confirmed cases of Coronavirus to Public Health England (PHE) in order that this can be captured as part of the national reporting processes and also for PHE to provide advice and guidance on infection control. Care providers are under no obligation to report suspected or confirmed cases to the county council.
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21/04/2020 |
28/04/2020 |
05/05/2020 |
12/05/2020 |
19/05/2020 |
26/05/2020 |
02/06/2020 |
09/06/2020 |
16/06/2020 |
23/06/2020 |
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|
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed Cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed Cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed Cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Providers affected |
Suspected and confirmed cases |
Ipswich and East Suffolk |
30 |
157 |
43 |
209 |
54 |
259 |
47 |
216 |
38 |
199 |
30 |
136 |
31 |
119 |
27 |
110 |
22 |
70 |
17 |
54 |
West Suffolk |
13 |
61 |
12 |
78 |
17 |
113 |
20 |
115 |
19 |
82 |
17 |
73 |
11 |
51 |
10 |
26 |
9 |
15 |
9 |
16 |
Waveney |
7 |
47 |
14 |
76 |
14 |
64 |
12 |
86 |
10 |
71 |
10 |
56 |
11 |
33 |
11 |
29 |
7 |
24 |
4 |
22 |
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|
|
|
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|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total |
50 |
265 |
69 |
363 |
85 |
436 |
79 |
417 |
67 |
352 |
57 |
265 |
53 |
203 |
48 |
165 |
38 |
109 |
30 |
92 |
The below data is sourced from the ONS data set for the number of deaths in care homes involving COVID-19 by date of notification to the Care Quality Commission, Local Authorities in England.
Number of deaths involving COVID-19 occurring in care homes during the period 10 April – 19 June 2020. |
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|
29.05.20 |
Change from last week |
05.06.20 |
Change from last week |
12.06.20 |
Change from last week |
19.06.20 |
Change from last week |
Suffolk |
163 |
11+ |
166 |
3+ |
171 |
5+ |
171 |
0 |
Norfolk |
118 |
8+ |
124 |
6+ |
131 |
7+ |
132 |
1+ |
Cambs+ Peterborough |
121 |
14+ |
128 |
7+ |
134 |
6+ |
137 |
3+ |
Essex |
220 |
9+ |
234 |
14+ |
240 |
6+ |
245 |
5+ |
Hertfordshire |
258 |
7+ |
263 |
5+ |
266 |
3+ |
267 |
1+ |
In Suffolk we are continuing to see a higher percentage of Covid-19 related deaths within care homes compared to some other areas. The reasons for this are complex, but factors we think are contributing to this are more people choosing to die in their usual place of residence and the high number of nursing beds that we have within care homes. These provide care for people with complex care needs who may be coming towards the end of their life and in Suffolk we have very good practices for providing end of life care.
What we are seeing is while Suffolk has a higher percentage of Covid-19 related deaths within care homes compared with some other areas, we also have a lower percentage of Covid-19 related deaths within hospitals than some other areas.
Dying within a care home setting is often reflective of a personâs wish to remain in their usual place of residence, in comfortable surroundings with people around them who are familiar, as opposed to being within a hospital setting.
Suffolkâs care homes continue to care for residents with the utmost professionalism and kindness. They are following national guidance regarding social distancing, hygiene standards and the correct use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Testing is available for all care homes, for the entire home including staff and residents who are not displaying any symptoms. With more testing taking place, infection control and prevention measures can be more effective.
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 |
NEW |
New plans to get Britain building in coronavirus recovery
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Local Authority and Business |
· Government to extend planning permission deadlines, saving hundreds of construction projectsâ permissions from expiring · Flexible working hours on construction sites to support social distancing, helping people return to work safely · New changes could speed up the pace of the planning appeal process |
UPDATED |
PPE portal: how to order emergency personal protective equipment |
GP and healthcare workers |
Healthcare providers can order additional personal protective equipment (PPE) through the portal to top up their existing supplies for COVID-19 in an emergency. GPs and small social care providers can now place orders multiple times per week instead of a singular order |
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 |
Professionals |
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5 |
Mental health support and advice from: |
General public, staff and carers |
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6 |
Chronic disease self- care during COVID-19: |
General public |
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7 |
European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) COVID-19 homepage |
Professionals |
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8 |
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.
As of 18 June, UKâs stringency level is 73.15 (many restrictions). For comparison, New Zealandâs stringency level is 19.44 (few restrictions) and Cubaâs is 100 (many restrictions, including total stay at home confinement and all but essential workplace closing). |
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 |
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 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.
Situation in Numbers WHO SitRep 154, 22 June
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