Agenda item

Cath Bedford, the Public Health Principal for Communities, and Lucy Butcher, Public Health Practitioner, will provide the North East Area Council with a verbal update and an actions and progress update report from Public Health about the Covid 19 pandemic.

Lucy Butcher, Public Health Practitioner, was welcomed to the meeting and  provided the North East Area Council with a verbal update and an actions and progress update report from Public Health about the Covid 19 pandemic.

It was reported that there has been a slight increase in transmission over the past few weeks and is being assessed by the Public Health team.  Asymptomatic testing at the Metrodome has picked up around 7 cases.  There have been a small number of outbreaks in care homes and work places together with an increase in household transmission, with multiple positive cases.  There is a higher prevalence of new variants but the increased rates is of most concern.  Joint working with partners such as South Yorkshire Police, Trading Standards and the Covid Marshals is taking place.  Only Barnsley-wide raw data is available at the moment and the picture changes daily.  No specific ward is showing a high case rate consistently and there is a need to consider age, levels of deprivation etc.  Reports of residents visiting coffee shops and parks in high numbers have been received, with cases in all wards of guidelines not being followed, particularly in supermarkets. Members were urged to continue to follow the guidelines and be vigilant.  Any intelligence around non-compliance with the guidelines should be emailed to:  covvidmarshalls@barnsley.gov.uk.

Members were advised that testing starts this week at the Acorn centre in Grimethorpe, with information on the website.  There are various testing sites across the Borough and all schools have testing provision.

Members were aware of a number of residents offered appointments for vaccination at Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Manchester, which is impossible for many people to attend and is concerning when there are local vaccination sites close by.   Vaccines are being administered to vulnerable residents who cannot leave their homes and this can be arranged through GPs.  Lucy will take these concerns back to Emma White in Public Health.  If there are further concerns around vaccination, these should be emailed to Emmawhite@barnsley.gov.uk.

RESOLVED that:

(i)            Lucy be thanked for her attendance and contribution;

(ii)          Members note the information in the report;

(iii)         Members continue to encourage local communities to get tested, especially if they have symptoms; 

(iv)         Members feedback any community-based intelligence to Covid Marshalls; and

(v)          Members contact Emma White in Public Health with any vaccination concerns