Issue - meetings

This report serves as an aide for a wider general discussion by Elected Members on the impact of COVID 19 on West Lindsey District Council’s Residents, Services, Performance and Finances to date.

Members will also receive verbal information from Derek Ward, Director of Public Health Lincolnshire during the meeting and will be provided an opportunity to ask questions of him.

The Chairman formally welcomed Mr Derek Ward, Director of Public Health Lincolnshire, to the meeting. 

Mr Ward gave a brief presentation to Members (copy appended) starting by outlining the current number of confirmed cases across the county, the headlines being: -

•      1149 cases, 143 confirmed deaths in Lincolnshire

•      Lincs 152 cases per 100,000 population – lowest in Midlands (excluding Rutland)

Members were provided with data to demonstrate how West Lindsey faired in comparison to other Lincolnshire areas, with Mr Ward pleased to report that West Lindsey did in fact have the lowest infection and mortality rates.  A number of statistical slides were shown to demonstrate trends over the recent weeks and months.

Finally, Mr Ward concluded by providing information around the developing track and trace programme, the role of Local authorities within this structure and the operation and tactical response arrangements in place between the County, Districts and Public Health England to deal with outbreaks & complex cases.

Members sincerely thanked Pubic Health England for their sterling work and the support provided to communities during these unprecedented times.  Whilst the pandemic had brought with it some extremely difficult situations, it also had helped organisations realise the move to on-line services, often increasing access to services for the most vulnerable and isolated, at an accelerated pace.  It was confirmed that on-line services were expected to become the new normal for a far greater number of services and would likely remain indefinitely in some form. 

There followed a period of questioning by Members during which questions were raised regarding, the basis of the statistics, anti-body testing, the average number of tests being administered per week across the District compared to nationally, and when a return to routine surgery and increased capacity in serious illness care would be seen.

In responding, Members were advised data was assigned to a person’s address, as opposed to where the tests were carried out, however there was frustration that Public Health England did not directly receive information to this level.  In respect of anti-body tests, these posed some operational challenges.  Those deemed reliable did  require a full blood test in a hospital setting.  Furthermore it was still unclear even if the presence of anti-bodies was detected, what level of protection this offered a person, or for how long.  This was still something very much being researched, with this being a new virus there were many unknowns. Track and Trace was expected to continue to be developed and it was also anticipated there would be a national review of the response.  Assurance was offered that all agencies were taking much learning from the each situation as it developed.

PHE did not currently get testing stats to allow regional comparisons, this was again something that was anticipated and had been requested and pushed for from Central Government.  Once received such analysis could be undertaken and would be shared back through the Lincolnshire Resilience Forum on which the District Council was a partner. Data other than national data was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 15