Agenda item

Covid Update

The Director of Public Health will provide the Committee with a verbal update at the meeting in relation to Covid 19.

Minutes:

The Director of Public Health attended the meeting to provide a presentation on the latest Covid-19 data relating to the Outbreak Control Plan, epidemiology, settings, testing and contract tracing and key issues emerging.

 

Some key points raised:

·        The current Outbreak Control Plan was approved by the Outbreak Management Advisory Board in June 2020 and would be refreshed by April 2021.

·        The 7 national themes in the Outbreak Control Plan covered

§  Care homes & schools

§  High risk places, locations & communities

§  Local testing capacity

§  Contact tracing

§  Data integration

§  Local Boards

·        This latest peak had shown increases in numbers across the 35 to 49 age group but trends across all age bands were now falling in York.

·        As at 4.2.21 the Positivity rates (Pillar 2 only) for York showed 263 positive cases out of 4,104 lab based (PCR)  tests and 43 positives out of 9,684 rapid (lateral flow) tests.

·        The 7 day incidence rates per 100,000 showed how York’s figures were decreasing below the regional and national average.

·        Westfield, Strensall, Hull Road and Dringhouses and Woodthorpe Wards had a statistically significant fall in rates compared with 7 days ago.

·        There had been an increase of hospital admissions in January but figures were decreasing.

·        There had been 140 excess deaths in York since the start of the pandemic (using the 2015-19 weekly average number of deaths as the comparator).

·        As at 9.2.21 there were 5 care homes in the CYC area with confirmed Covid-19 infection.

·        The new UK (Kent) variant had become the predominant variant and had been the reason for the spike of cases in York.

·        A community daily hub met daily to review anti-social behaviour across the city and the Covid Marshalls were interacting with businesses, patrolling the city, supplying face masks and had picked up 735 discarded face masks.

·        The Covid vaccination program was progressing extremely well with all care homes being offered the vaccine.

 

The Director summarised the ongoing key issues as being the expansion of testing to businesses with more than 50 employees; enhanced contact tracing; compliance with social isolation and any future roadmap out of national lockdown.

 

Members questioned the Director on a range of issues and she confirmed that:

·        Other respiratory diseases, such as flu and norovirus cases, were lower than normal due to the current infection control measures in place and a higher take up of the flu vaccine.

·        York was in a better position regarding care home outbreaks compared to other local authorities within the region. Care home staff were tested weekly and residents tested monthly and where they were any particular concerns, the care home was supported to ensure good practices were in place.

·        Nimbuscare were managing the vaccination sites in York and there were currently no concerns regarding vaccine supply.

·        Nimbuscare were considering measures to ensure the vaccination sites would operate safely when footfall increased due to the first and second dose overlap. All vaccination sites were Care Quality Commission (CQC) registered and had to comply with the national standard operating procedures.

·        School and University data was regularly monitored and work with larger businesses would be the next focus.

·        York St John University, The University of York and the Community Stadium were currently being used as lateral flow testing sites.

 

The Director agreed to email Members the intensive care capacity figures at York Hospital and further specific information relating to the activities of the Covid Marshalls.

 

The Chair thanked the Director for all her continuing efforts and those of her team.

 

Resolved:  That the presentation be noted.

 

Reason: To ensure that the Committee were aware of the current situation in York relating to Covid-19.

 

 

 

 

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