Members' Briefing: 7 May 2020

COVID update

As of 6 May, there were 11,477 confirmed cases across the and area. This included 682 cases in the East Riding, 534 cases in Hull, 137 cases in North East Lincolnshire and 409 cases in North Lincolnshire (1,762 cases across the Humber area).

As of 6 May, there had been 188 hospital deaths due to COVID-19 across the Humber area. This included 110 deaths registered by HUTH, 77 deaths registered by NLAG and 1 death registered by HFT.

Humber Care Homes:

As of 6 May, a total of 25 Care Home COVID-19 infections have been recorded across 162 Care Homes in the last 24 hours. A total of 80 residents were reported as having COVID-19 infections in the last 24 hours.

Humber Hospitals:

As of 6 May, across the Humber area, 5% of hospital beds were occupied by COVID-19 patients, 54% of beds are occupied by non-COVID-19 patients, and 37% of beds were unoccupied.

Supporting the fantastic work being done by carers The council continues to actively support all 140 residential care homes and the 40 care home providers which are looking after thousands of vulnerable people across the East Riding. The East Riding care sector has been magnificent in providing care and support during the pandemic, not only providing strong and effective infection and prevention control with good hygiene practices but also supporting people to live as best a life they can at this time. We are incredibly proud of our carers and care home staff who are working so hard to keep residents safe during these difficult times. Staff are organising all sorts of activities, events and things to do to put a smile on their residents’ faces and to re-assure the residents’ families that their loved ones are being well cared for despite the challenges of COVID-19. We also have very positive relationships with the care home providers and are all working extremely hard together to do our best to support the 10,000 workers who are working around the clock to provide care to vulnerable people across the East Riding. The council’s dedicated adult social care response room continues to operate seven days a week to support all care providers, who we are calling every day throughout the week so we can check on their PPE supplies, staffing levels, how they are supporting residents, what issues they face and how best we can support them. Weekly conference calls are also being held with all care providers so we can share information and support each other. The council is also aware that many people are supporting their loved ones at home and this includes people with challenging conditions and behaviours. We are in touch with many of these families as we work to explore what further support we can provide them in the weeks and months ahead. We are also working hard with the care sector to explore how we can increase the use of technology to bring more activities online into care home settings. Digital technology can enable families to have contact with their loved ones and to support health and care professionals to provide remote consultations. Responding to the pandemic has been a team effort across the whole care sector and the council and its care partners have also been working closely with the NHS to ensure the best possible support for residents with care needs.

Council Meetings – Scrutiny A new work programme for Overview and Scrutiny Committees has been proposed to Scrutiny Chairs to enable the Council’s response to the COVID 19 pandemic to be scrutinised across all Committees. These meetings will take place in June and July via video conferencing with a format similar to a select committee hearing, with a short presentation from officers and then a question and answer session. Topics will include the impact on children’s services, schools, shielding arrangements, supporting businesses, delivering streetscene services, the public health response and adult social care. This new style will enable timely scrutiny of a subject to recognise good practice, distil lessons learned and assist with the planning of recovery, whilst at the same time minimising the time spent by officers in writing reports during a period of high workloads. A further review of the Scrutiny programme will take place in July to inform the programme after recess.

Stay at home messaging The council’s public protection team has been working with police on the issue of people visiting camp sites and caravan parks. Urgent Government advice issued earlier this week stated that “essential travel does not include visits to camp sites or caravan parks for isolation purposes or holidays”. The Government is encouraging people to stay at home and remain in their primary residence, to avoid putting additional pressure on communities and services which are already at risk. Some caravan parks and other holiday premises have allowed people already at the location to remain. Under the Government regulations, they can only be kept open to provide accommodation for anyone who is already on the premises or park site and is unable to return to their main residence, anyone who uses that accommodation as their main residence or who needs accommodation while moving house or attending a funeral. A video has been produced to let customers of the council’s South Cliff Holiday Park in know what has been happening on the site and to remind them that they can’t currently visit but that we are looking forward to welcoming them back in the future. You can see the video by clicking here. A series of videos with a postcard theme have also been produced for use on social media to urge people not to visit holiday and day-trip destinations while the lockdown continues. You can see an example of one of the postcard-themed “stay at home” videos by clicking here. A number of council services have been sending out eNewsletters by email to their customers, to keep in touch and to keep them informed of any “behind the scenes” news and also activities which could support them during the lockdown. eNewsletters have been sent out by services and attractions including and Gardens, Bridlington Spa, South Cliff Holiday Park, East Riding Leisure, libraries and children’s centres.

East Riding Community Response Hub The East Riding Community Response Hub will be open over the bank holiday weekend from 9am-6pm. The hub is there to support people who need help and have no network of family, friends, neighbours, carers or local community groups to fall back on. The help can range from asking for prescriptions or essential food items to be picked up and delivered to dog-walking or a friendly voice on the end of a phone for those who are lonely. People can telephone the hub on (01482) 393919 or email [email protected] to ask for help.

Health and wellbeing The council is always very keen to establish health and wellbeing initiatives and to encourage positive recruitment and retention practices at every opportunity. To that end, yesterday our colleagues in East Riding Leisure launched a new initiative which supports the council’s Live Well Work Well programme. It is called Premier Work-outs and involves live-streamed 30-minute, 45-minute and 60-minute sessions led by our fitness instructors and including a mix of cardio, strength, wellbeing and classes for those less mobile. In these unprecedented times, it has never been more important to keep physically fit and active, which in turn supports mental health, and we want to help employees be able to do this. Each work-out will be premiered for employees and afterwards can be accessed by anyone at any time on the East Riding Leisure YouTube channel, along with many shorter work-out routines which people can do at a time to suit them. Once the work-outs have been launched to staff and any feedback is assessed, there is a plan to then stream health and wellbeing initiatives directly into care homes and any other organisation with a need to engage safely and effectively with the outside world. Activities will not only include physical work-outs but also readings, recitals, information and learning. You can visit East Riding Leisure’s YouTube channel here. The Active East Riding continues to offer a wide range of activities to support the physical and mental health of people of all generations. You can visit it at www.activeeastriding.co.uk and find lots of things to do to #StayHomeStayActive

Refuse collections Residents have been reminded that their refuse bins will be collected as normal tomorrow (Friday) and all next week, despite the VE Day Bank Holiday.

VE Day 75 Celebrations are taking place this bank holiday weekend, from tomorrow (Friday) until Sunday, to mark the 75th anniversary of Victory in Europe Day. The council is supporting the national commemorations and promoting the celebration of VE Day by people at home. In line with other councils, the Union flag will be flown from County Hall, and all other council buildings with a flag pole, from Friday, 8th May through to Sunday, 10th May in celebration.

Over the last week, Sarah Asquith has been working with the Lord-Lieutenant, High Sheriff, Bishop Alison White and local representatives of the Royal British Legion to put together a 15 minute film tribute of readings, a poem, a prayer, images of veterans and music including the Hull Minster virtual choir, a bugler, piper and the Town Crier – with a cameo appearance by the Chairman Cllr Pat Smith.

The plan is to release the video on social media at 2.46 p.m. tomorrow this is so the Nation's Toast, within the video, falls on 3.00 p.m. (hopefully depending upon how fast or slow some people's clocks are) when the Nation will come together to toast those who gave so much during WW2.

There will be 1940s music available on Sewerby Hall and Garden’s YouTube channel, 1940s recipes and photos on Sewerby Hall’s Facebook page and an online display on the Active East Riding website. Singer Ruth Getz, one of the UK's leading vintage vocalists, was due to perform a concert in the Sewerby Hall Orangery. Instead, she has recorded a special film for the attraction’s YouTube channel, including her performance of a classic from the 1940s. It can be seen from 8.30am tomorrow (Friday) here. In addition, wartime recipes and historical photos from the Second World War, when parts of Sewerby Hall were in use as a hospital, will be available on its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/sewerbyhall An exhibition produced by volunteers to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VE Day has gone live on the Active East Riding website. The council’s Libraries, Museums and Archives have been working on the display for the past year and it was due to go up at Skidby Mill at the beginning of May. With the site being closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual display has been produced instead for now, so that all the volunteers' hard work did not go to waste. The exhibition covers a number of ways in which the East Riding was affected by the war; for example, German bombing raids and V-1 flying bomb attacks, coastal defence systems, prisoners of war, the 'Secret Army' and the many ways in which women supported the war effort. The exhibition can be found on the Active East Riding website here. A number of care homes and care services are also getting involved and celebrating VE Day, for example Woldhaven Residential and Re-ablement Service the Old School House in are holding afternoon teas. On the menu at the Old School House is Lord Woolton pie (named after the head of the Ministry of Food who encouraged using up scraps in a pie), spotted dick and cream scones. A member of staff will perform 1940s songs and there will be lots of bunting, photos and posters. Tenants on the Kingsgarth Sheltered Housing Scheme are being encouraged to sit outside, weather-permitting, with a cuppa and enjoy music and a socially-distant chat with neighbours as well as observing the two-minute silence.

VE Day Community Fund The rural team within Planning has been co-ordinating the payment of grants to 14 parish councils from the council’s VE Day Community Fund. COVID-19 has affected the types of activity which could be supported by the fund, as town and parish councils and other organisations across the East Riding were planning to hold some excellent VE Day events involving social gatherings which were sadly not able to take place. However, the grant fund has still been able to support some VE75-associated projects which do not involve social gatherings and are not time critical. Grants to Kirk Ella & West Ella Parish Council, North and South Cliffe Parish Council, Cottingham Parish Council, on the Wolds Parish Council and Wold Newton Parish Council have contributed to memorial bench projects and every child in Wold Newton is also receiving a souvenir coin. Skidby Parish Council received a grant for the installation of a metal seat commemorating VE75 through relevant images cut into the seat back and an interpretation board providing information about residents from Skidby Parish who served in World War 2. A grant to Seaton Parish Council Seaton has supported a purpose-built metal bench with cut-out images of poppies to attach to the Millennium Wall, with two soldiers standing guard. South Cave Parish Council’s grant has contributed to the purchase and installation of a brass plaque at the War Memorial location in memory of soldiers who sold musical instruments from their brass band to pay for various laurel bushes around the village when they were deployed for services. The parish councils in Welwick and Elstronwick have used grants to buy commemorative mugs and Ottringham Parish Council is creating a pocket remembrance garden for residents and visitors. The grant to Tickton & Routh Parish Council is for soldier silhouettes, a wreath and street decorations near the parish’s War Memorial and Sancton Parish Council requested a grant for a new Union flag for the village flag pole and to contribute towards the creation of a memorial board with information about the village during the world wars and other historical notes. Finally, Twin Rivers Parish Council is encouraging residents to have a street party in their own garden following the cancellation of its VE Day hall celebration.

COVID-19 Testing Colleagues in Public Health have compiled this information about COVID-19 testing which we hope you will find useful. Testing is a key component of the Government strategy to protect the NHS and save lives. The Government testing strategy consists of 5 pillars: 1. NHS Swab Testing 2. Mass Swab Testing for Key Workers 3. Antibody Testing 4. Surveillance Testing 5. Diagnostic National Effort ‘Swab’ tests are used to identify if a person currently has the coronavirus (COVID-19). These tests are currently being used to help get key workers back to work, in addition to managing outbreaks in settings such as care homes and prisons. Currently, Pillars 1 and 2 are in action. Local testing capacity consists of hospital trusts (pillar 1) and Government testing through the Humber Bridge Regional Testing Centre, Mobile Testing Units and Home Testing (pillar 2). Testing guidance, eligibility and protocols are updated frequently. Information in this briefing is subject to change at short notice.

Eligibility: Testing is currently prioritised for hospital patients, to inform their clinical diagnosis, and to all essential key workers with symptoms of coronavirus. Testing eligibility has now been extended to include anyone over 65-years old with symptoms and anyone with symptoms whose work cannot be done from home. NHS workers and patients without symptoms can also be tested. Social care workers and residents in care homes (with or without symptoms) can be tested to investigate outbreaks. Eligibility also includes anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus and lives with any of the above. For more information about COVID-19 testing, including who is eligible and how to get tested visit: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested

Local hospital trusts: NHS hospital trusts carry out in-house testing for patients and staff. There is also limited capacity for hospital trusts to test health and social care staff and other key workers. This includes household members from the age of 2-years. Locally, there is a site at Castle Hill Hospital in Cottingham. Local NHS staff including ambulance personnel, can be referred to these test centres by their line manager; staff at partner organisations request a test via their employer.

Humber Bridge Regional Testing Centre: The Humber Bridge is the local site for the regional testing centre (RTC). The drive-through test facility opened as part of the Government’s UK-wide plan to increase testing for thousands more NHS and key workers. The Humber Bridge RTC is predominantly a self-swabbing site. Information about how to undertake the swabbing test is provided to individuals when an appointment for testing is confirmed. The testing site will test people aged 5 and over. For children aged 5 to 12, a parent or guardian will be required to administer the test. Children aged 12 to 18 are able to self-swab, have parental assistance or be assisted by staff. Individuals aged 18 and over can self-swab or be assisted by a staff member. The site is appointment only. Appointments at the RTC can be booked through the UK Government online referral portal, either directly or through an individual’s employer. The governance of the Humber Bridge RTC is overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care.

Mobile testing sites: A mobile testing unit (MTU) is being deployed in different areas around the Humber to make it easier for people to get tested closer to home. MTUs move to locations across the Humber region where the offer tests by appointment only. Appointments can be made through the UK Government online referral portal, either directly or through an individual’s employer. The governance of the Humber Bridge RTC is overseen by the Department of Health and Social Care, however this may be subject to change.

Home testing: For individuals who are unable to drive to a regional testing centre and where a mobile testing unit is not available, it is possible to order a home testing kit and carry out a swab-test at home. Home testing kits are available for people aged 5-years and older. Home testing kits are ordered via the UK Government online portal, either directly or through their employer.

Care home testing: Social care workers and residents in care homes (with or without symptoms) can be tested to investigate outbreaks and, following successful pilots, as part of a national programme. Currently, a care home reports a suspected outbreak of COVID-19 to Public Health (PHE) who arrange for swab tests to be sent to the care home. PHE also provide further health protection and infection control advice tailored to the needs of each care home. Infection Control advice is also provided through the CCG. Following initial PHE testing of symptomatic residents, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) will provide whole-home testing. This is facilitated through postal swabs which will be couriered directly to the care home. There are plans in place to offer all Care Homes (resident and staff) swab testing by the end of May 2020. Further information on this process will be released through the Department of Health and Social Care within the next few days.

Business Support

Government have announced a further £617m in support for small businesses. The allocation of funding will be at the discretion of local authorities.

The additional funding is aimed at small businesses with ongoing fixed property-related costs. Local authorities are being asked to prioritise businesses in shared spaces, regular market traders, small charity properties that would meet the criteria for Small Business Rates Relief, and bed and breakfasts that pay council tax rather than business rates.

However we may choose to make payments to other businesses based on local economic need.

Businesses must be small, under 50 employees, and they must also be able to demonstrate that they have seen a significant drop of income due to Coronavirus restriction measures.

A number of businesses have already been in touch – however we are still awaiting government guidance and notification of the allocation of funding before we can put together a scheme and application process.

Prime Minister’s announcement - Sunday There has been media speculation about what the next phase and any lockdown “refinement” could look like but we won’t know any detail until Sunday and even then there may be some ambiguity about what any change will mean for the public and for us an organisation. The council will need to fully assess all aspects of Sunday’s announcement and any subsequent information from Government before making any changes to current working practices.