Minutes of the COVID19 Oversight and Engagement Board Meeting held at 10.15 am on Thursday 27th August 2020 Public Session held virtually via Zoom

Present: Cllr Ian Morris – Chair (IM) Cabinet Member for Public Health and Adult Social Care, County Council Cllr Phil Bignell (PB) South Northants Council Cllr Ruth Groome (RG) Independent Group Lead North, Northants Shadow Authority Claire Hughes (CH) Interim Head of Communications, Northamptonshire County Council Leanne Hackshall (LH) Acting Chief Executive Officer, General Hospital Dr David Jones (DJ) Chair, Northamptonshire Healthwatch Dr Ruth Milton (RM) Public Health Cllr Jonathan Nunn (JN) Leader, Borough Council Julie Shepherd (JS) Chief Nurse, Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Substitute Trust Cllr Chris Stanbra (CS) Liberal Democrat Group Lead North, North Northants Shadow Unitary Authority Ian Vincent (IV) Chief Executive, District Council Cllr Russell Roberts (RR) Leader, Kettering Borough Council and Leader, North Northants Shadow Unitary Authority Lucy Wightman (LW) Director of Public Health, Northamptonshire County Council and Director of Population Health Strategy, NHS Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group

Minute Taker: Cheryl Bird (CB) Health and Wellbeing Board Business Manager Northamptonshire County Council

Apologies: Cllr Jean Addison (JAd) Borough Council James Andronov (JA) Assistant Chief Constable, Northamptonshire County Council Liam Beasley (LB) Head of Communications, Northamptonshire County Council Cllr Phil Bignell (PB) South Northants Council Cllr Lizzie Bowen (LB) Deputy Leader, Northamptonshire County Council George Candler (GC) Chief Executive, Northampton Borough Council Joanna Fawcus (JF) Chief Operating Officer, Kettering General Hospital Theresa Grant (TG) Chief Executive, Northamptonshire County Council Angela Hillery (AH) Chief Executive, Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust Cllr Chris Lofts (CL) Liberal Democrat Group Lead West, West Northants Shadow Unitary Authority Cllr Ian McCord (IMc) Leader, South Northants District Council and Leader, West Northants Shadow Unitary Authority Sarah Newall (SN) Public Health Communications Consultant, Northamptonshire County Council Cllr Russell Roberts (RR) Leader, Kettering Borough Council and Leader, North Northants Shadow Unitary Authority Toby Sanders TS) Chief Operating Officer, NHS Northamptonshire Clinical Commissioning Group Cllr Danielle Stone (DS) Northamptonshire County Council and Northampton Borough Council Sharon Wright (SW) COVID19 Testing lead, Northamptonshire COVID19 Strategic Co-ordination Centre

29/20 Welcome

The Chair opened the meeting and welcomed everyone present.

30/20 Minutes from the previous meeting 20th August 2020

RESOLVED that: the minutes from the previous meeting held on the 20th August were agreed as an accurate record.

31/20 Summary of Local Surveillance Data

The Director of Public Health (DPH) presented the Summary of Local Surveillance report covering data up to the 16th August and highlighted the following:  The front cover of the report shows the continued warning about the increased cases of COVID19 within Northampton, Corby, Kettering and and for residents to adhere to the additional local guidance.  Northampton was made an area of local intervention by the Secretary of State last week following an outbreak of cases within a Greencore factory. The secretary of State has also directed those employees and their families to self isolate for 14 days from 21st August. Further information is expected from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) around proposed draft legislation to ensure compliance with the restrictions. Support is being provided to those employees and families such as food, and medication deliveries.  Within Northampton Borough there has been an increase in positive cases, with the local incident rate for week ending 13th August hitting 125.1 per 100,000 population, and a total of 740.4 cases per 100,000 population, which is higher than the national and regional average. Prior to the Greencore outbreak Northampton was already an area of concern.  The highest rates of infection is still concentrated around the centre of Northampton and Victoria Ward in Wellingborough.  In South Northamptonshire there has been a higher than expected increase in the number of positive cases, the increase is small and not a cause for concern  To date there have been a total of 4080 positive cases within Northamptonshire, 334 identified in the week up to 16th August, with 208 identified through pillar 1 testing. The private testing undertaken by Greencore has been recorded as pillar 1 testing, which is usually the testing category for patients entering an acute settings or NHS front line staff. 126 cases were identified through pillar 2 testing which also included some Greencore employees who used community testing facilities.  The age group currently most affected is working age adults who tend to have mostly very mild symptoms or are asymptomatic. There has also been a rise in cases for 0-19 age group which will need monitoring as schools across the county re-open to students from the 1st September. Work is taking place with schools to ensure there are appropriate COVID19 secure procedures in place and provide support if schools identify any positive cases.  The density of positive cases are shown more in areas of deprivation, high number of care homes, BAME population, overcrowded households and people with chronic health conditions.  Moulton Ward is currently showing the highest positivity rate in Northampton, this is due to the Greencore business address being given when testing was conducted on employees, rather than individual’s residential address. Northamptonshire Public Health (NPH) have been provided with residential addresses and have been targeting interventions to support these communities.  Up to 19th August there are 17 active outbreaks within the county, with 3 in the workplace and 11 in Care Homes. The number of confirmed outbreaks in the workplace has increased mainly due to the Greencore outbreak. NPH continue to monitor outbreaks and work with Public Health England who are the first port of call for notification of an outbreak. Page 2 of 5

 Interventions are being focused in in areas of high density workplaces such as industrial estates.

RESOLVED that: the Board noted the Local Surveillance Data update.

32/20 Situation Update

The Director of Public Health introduced the item and highlighted the following:  There just under 300 positive cases identified at Greencore factory. NPH, PHE Environmental Health Officer’s (EHO’s) and Greencore have worked closely with the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) following the directive from the Secretary of State for the site to voluntarily close and all employees and families to self-isolate for 14 days.  The DHSC have agreed a skeleton workforce can remain at Greencore site to provide security and to complete the shutdown process. These staff are either agency workers or have completed their 14 day self-isolation. On the 24th August Greencore provided evidence to the local EHO), Northampton Borough Council, Director of Public Health and PHE on the work undertaken. As the measures at Greencore go above what is required, the DHSC agreed a small production line could commenced on 24th staffed by employees who have come out of furlough or completed their self-isolation. Production will increase at the site more staff complete their isolation period.  Outbreaks and clusters in the county continue to be investigated by NPH with support from PHE, in order to obtain the earliest notification of any potential exposure or linked cases, to ensure the Community Infection Prevention Control Team provide support, with risk assessments and site visits are undertaken by EHO’s and NPH if required.  Steady progress has been made across the county in regards to increased testing. People are encouraged to continue to participate in testing or self-isolation if they develop symptoms and have any concerns. In order to reduce the likelihood of onward transmissions the public are reminded abide with the local restrictions of increased social distancing, wearing of face coverings, avoid car sharing or use of public transport where possible.

RESOLVED that: the Board noted the local situation update.

33/20 Testing Venue Update

The Director of Public Health introduced an update on testing venues and highlighted the following:  The regional testing site will be built at Kettering Conference Centre car park, the legal details are in the process of being signed off and then the project build plan can begin early next week with the aim to operational within the next two to three weeks.  There are local testing sites (LTS) based in Northampton, Kettering and Corby town centres, each completing over 100 hundred tests daily.  A LTS has been built in Wellingborough town centre and is currently in pilot phase and will be fully operational on the 28th August between the hours 8.00am – 8.00pm 7 days a week.  Sharon Wright will be scoping possible LTS site in South Northants.  From the 1st to 20th August 16400 people have been tested within the county not including postal service swabs and test results are being received within 24-48 hours of the test being completed.  There are three mobile testing units (MTUs) within the county, one is rotating around industrial sites currently situated at Grange Park and will then move onto Brackmills on the 31st August for between 5 and 7 days. The second MTU is based at Castle Car Park in Wellingborough and then on the 28th August will move into Leisure Centre car park. The third MTU is currently based in Tresham College car park in Kettering to cover Kettering and area and then move to Weston Favell.  People can present at a LTS or MTU without a prior booking, but would then need to register the test on the national website before midnight on the same day or the test will not be processed.

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Following a question from the Board the Director of Public Health added:  A COVID19 test is only as good as the moment it is taken and people are encouraged to get re-tested if they have any concerns or symptoms, test results are not linked to any previous test results an individual may have had.  All care home staff and residents are routinely tested, with the frequency of testing dependent of the individual setting and level of risk. If any asymptomatic residents and staff are identified they will be isolated and actions taken to ensure the care home setting is adhering to Infection Prevention Outbreak Control advice. There are currently no concerns about potential outbreaks within care home settings as these involve small numbers.  Definition of an outbreak is 2 or more cases linked by place, time or person.

RESOLVED that: the Board noted the testing venue update.

34/20 Communication and Engagement Update

Claire Hughes introduced the communications and engagement update and highlighted the following:  Following the government announcement that Northamptonshire is now an area of intervention, the communications cell has drafted and delivered messaging surrounding the announcement to the media, social media, and through partner and stakeholder channels.  The regular press conference was held on the 21st August and attended by both national and local media.  The Director of Public Health continues to be interviewed twice weekly on Radio Northampton.  The Communications Cell has been working closely with district and borough colleagues to ensure all the activity across the county is delivered.  A ‘How to’ guide is being completed for colleagues in areas of the county where there has not yet been a significant rise in positive cases.  Track and Trace posters for display in Pubs are being distributed across the county via EHO’s and town centres managers.  A digital advert is being shown on the tallest tower within the grounds of University of Northampton, warning student and the rest of the local population they are at risk from COVID19 with the accompanying COVID19 secure messaging.  The social media graphic continues to be updated twice daily, containing up to date MTU testing details.  A weekly surveillance report continues to be published on the NCC website with the accompanying press release.  An updated business pack has been produced, including a number of additional translated materials for the workforce.  Posters for 13 bus shelters in Wellingborough have been commissioned, along with digital messaging across pub screens in Wellingborough and Daventry.  ‘Don’t be a numpty’ campaign is being re-launched this week, with a series of videos on YouTube urging people to be COVID19 secure.

RESOLVED that: the Board noted the Communications and Engagement Update.

35/20 Any Other Business

The Board the Director of Public Health advised there are a number of events taking place over the bank holiday weekend. The Northamptonshire Police, PHE and NPH liaise on risk assessments and processes undertaken for all proposed events and NPH is supportive of events taking place if organisers can provide assurance these events can take place safely and follow COVID19 secure protocols. The legislative frameworks available to the police and public health to prohibit events require robust and clear evidence that a planned event poses a significant health risk to local residents in order to utilise this legislation.

Date of next meeting

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The next meeting will be at virtually via Zoom at 10.15 pm on the 4th September 2020.

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