Agenda item

Councillor Sue Lukes, Executive Member Community Safety and Pandemic Response was present, together with Jonathan O’Sullivan, Acting Director of Public Health, and Jon Tomlinson Service Director Strategy and Commissioning and made a presentation to the Committee, copy interleaved

During consideration of the report the following main points were made -

·         Comprehensive plan underway to ensure prepared for further increases in COVID 19, and to identify those vulnerable people. Both the winter plan and Task Force recommendations focus on work with providers, and particularly infection control, and how the Council oversee and support providers

·         Older People’s Care Homes and Domiciliary Care review – there are 8 older people’s care homes in Islington, and there has been an overall reduction in the number of cases across all homes, and at home level a considerably smaller number of cases where situations have emerged. The number of cases reported has changed, with a decrease in asymptomatic residents presenting, and an increase in asymptomatic residents identified through whole setting testing. In older peoples care homes there have been no resident COVID related deaths since June. Staffing levels in older people’s homes have remained generally stable

·         Domiciliary care – agencies report that they have cared for relatively low numbers of residents who have been COVID positive, or who have been COVID symptomatic. Agencies have reported no COVID related deaths they care for to commissioners, and staffing has stabilised after some initial challenges

·         Domiciliary care testing update COVID – Public Health England are not recommending routine testing of homecare staff, and there is no pathway nationally for domiciliary care staff testing similar to that which exists for home care staff. Officers are however exploring testing options

·         All older people’s care homes have reported on a number of confirmed and suspected cases on a weekly basis to ASC commissioners since 8 April.  There has been a considerable reduction in the overall number of cases from 66 at the peak, to no more than 8 cases reported since 21 April. The nature of the cases have changed, with a decrease in symptomatic residents presenting, and an increase in asymptomatic residents identified

·         Mental Health – no resident or staff cases were reported in mental health care homes this week, and no deaths to date. All homes are testing as per national guidance

·         Learning Disabilities Care Homes update –no new resident or staff cases. Staffing levels remain steady. All homes are testing as per national guidance

·         Noted that following the new COVID tier regulations Islington would be in tier 2, and there is a need to explain, and where necessary, enforce the new regulations, as mass vaccinations would probably not be completed until the Summer

·         Another testing station has now been introduced in the south of the borough at the Finsbury Leisure Centre, and there is now local test and trace which will enable the Council to track those with the virus

·         More community messaging is taking place

·         Noted that there has been a significant increase in the level of infections in the borough, and there were now over 300 new infections being reported each week, mostly in young adults. There had however been an increase in infection rates for older adults, but hospital admissions were still relatively low, and much reduced from the first wave of COVID. There had been 3 deaths in recent weeks, however these all had existing health problems

·         Islington is being placed in Tier 2 with the rest of London, and it was noted that a lot of work had been taking place across London to plan for this

·         Members were informed that 3 vaccines which are safe would be available for COVID, and there would be engagement with the NHS and the community in relation to the ‘roll out’ of such vaccines, and there is likely to be significant supplies starting to come through in January. It was noted that work is taking place with BAME communities to provide health messages to encourage take up of vaccinations

·         In response to a question, it was stated that Licensing teams were going out and visiting venues to ensure that there was compliance with the regulations

·         In response to a question it was stated that testing is still a problem, and is being operated at a national level by multi-national companies, and it is difficult to get results locally quickly, before it gets to the local test and trace contacting system. However Council local test and trace are now being given additional powers, and resources, and there is a need to work across London on this

·         It was stated that work is taking place with 6^th. Forms in schools to ask them to assist in engaging young people, via social media, to get public health messages across

·         Noted that excellent work had taken place during the pandemic between Public Health and ASC commissioners, and that work is taking place to identify additional risks in BAME communities in order to mitigate them

·         Members were informed that there did not appear to be rates of infection amongst the learning disabled seen in other parts of the country, and that information on this could be submitted to a future meeting of the Committee. Testing is important in domiciliary care and will be prioritised in future

The Chair thanked Councillor Lukes, Jonathan O’Sullivan and Jon Tomlinson for the presentation