Agenda item

Jonathan O’Sullivan, Director of Public Health and  John Everson and Russell Jones Adult Social Services were present and outlined the presentations, copies interleaved

Councillor Sue Lukes, Executive Member Community Safety and responsible for pandemic response was also present

During consideration of the presentations the following main points were made –

·         Adult Social Services – the majority of staff employed in care homes, as well as in LBI ASC department will have been vaccinated by the date set down by the time of the deadline set by Government

·         Care homes – there has been high rates of full vaccination coverage with further increases expected. No provider expressed any business continuity concerns about impact on recruitment to date

·         Work on implementation of mandatory vaccination builds on long-standing work undertaken within the department and with local providers to support vaccination uptake for social care staff

·         Homes and Domiciliary care – no new deaths since start of February, decrease in symptomatic  residents, staffing levels in OAP care homes have remained stable

·         Mental Health and Learning Disabilities Care Homes – there have no COVID related deaths in mental health disabilities care homes and staffing levels remain stable

·         Domiciliary care – small number of residents who have been confirmed with COVID or who have been COVID symptomatic. No COVID reported deaths reported from commissioners. After some initial workforce challenges in the sector staffing levels have stabilised and there is capacity, and work is taking place with providers to ensure as many staff continue to be vaccinated as possible

·         Home sector levels – increase in care home resident cases in December 2020/January 2021 and likely due to increased rates in community transmission. Since February 2021 there have been very few cases which have been asymptomtic, and currently no resident deaths since the start of February

·         Public Health – variation in infection rates by ethnic group over the Summer. Vaccinations have largely prevented serious illness needing hospital admission. Most admissions were in younger age groups, and after many months of no reported deaths this increased by 10 over August/September making a total of 375

·         As of 22 September 154k of adults have had their first vaccination and 137k their second. This has slowed and residents from black communities are significantly less likely to have been vaccinated. Preparations are in place for 12-15 year old school based vaccinations and booster programmes, plus expanded flu vaccination roll out. The growth in infections has been largely driven by young people. Noted that the booster third jab programme would also be starting shortly and 4 GP hubs and 10/11 pharmacies across the borough would be administering these

·         Islington COVID infection rate is amongst lowest in London

·         The three wards with lowest vaccination rates are likely to be affected by the larger student populations in these wards. Focus on supporting and vaccinating people in excluded and most vulnerable groups

·         Noted that analysis had shown that deaths amongst black Asian and the black population were higher than other groups, and that it is hoped that vaccination rates could improve amongst these groups where they had not been vaccinated

·         A Member referred to a recent report on long COVID in children and enquired what was being done on this. The Director of Public Health stated that he was not aware of this report but he would look into this

The Chair thanked Councillors Lukes, Jonathan O’Sullivan, John Everson and Russell Jones for attending