31 July 2020
Public: coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for Devon on our website
Please pass this onto district, borough, parish and town councillors as appropriate. The bulletin can be shared as a link by clicking the 'View it as a Web page' link at the top.
Do it for Devon
Stick with us and keep following the guidance to keep everyone safe and well.
Devon extends a warm welcome to all visitors.
However, to keep us all safe, we need the support of local residents and visitors to keep following the guidelines with social distancing, washing hands and hand sanitising, wearing a face covering in enclosed spaces and avoiding busy places.
Devon ranks among the lowest for COVID cases
With so much coverage in the national media about the potential second wave of coronavirus, we wanted to reassure you about our continued efforts in Devon to contain the virus. The number of COVID-19 cases in Devon is still very low, with no linked cases or community spread, and we want to keep it that way.
In fact, Devon's District Council areas account for four of the lowest five 'lower tier local authorities' in England, for confirmed coronavirus cases. They include Torridge, West Devon, South Hams, North Devon. Mid Devon, Teignbridge, East Devon and Exeter District and City Councils follow shortly after, making Devon one of the lowest ranking areas of the country for coronavirus cases. You can view the data, on the government's website.
Our Local Outbreak Management Plan for Devon was launched last month, and we are continuing to work closely with partners and with the very latest local data and intelligence to help monitor the situation very closely and respond rapidly if necessary.
We are actively planning for a range of possible scenarios including a potential outbreak in specific settings, ensuring robust plans are in place and testing these with partners, and we are also encouraging prospective visitors to think about their stay in the South West and be respectful of local communities and the environment.
Devon County Council Leader, Cllr John Hart, said
"Devon is in a good place right now. We continue to have one of the lowest number of cases in the country, and we want to keep it that way.”
Dr Virginia Pearson, Chair of the COVID-19 Health Protection Board, said:
"Local arrangements to manage coronavirus effectively are up and running. We have access to information from Public Health England as well as our own intelligence and will be looking out for anything of concern such as a rise in overall numbers or if we see clusters of cases or hotspots appearing.
"If needed, we will take whatever action is necessary to make sure we keep numbers low and prevent the uncontrolled spread of this virus."
Steve Brown appointed new Director of Public Health
Steve Brown, our Deputy Director of Public Health, has accepted the post of Director of Public Health for Devon. Our Appointments and Renumeration Committee agreed unanimously to offer the role to Steve, which will be ratified by Full Council in October.
Devon’s current Director of Public Health, Dr Virginia Pearson, will be retiring in November. Virginia was appointed in 2007 as the first joint Director of Public Health for NHS Devon and Devon County Council. In 2013 she became Devon County Council’s first Director of Public Health.
Steve has over 16 years’ experience working at a senior leadership level in Public Health. He has been Deputy Director of Public Health in Devon for seven years and during that time was seconded to Cornwall County Council and the Isles of Scilly as Interim Service Director for Wellbeing and Public Health for 18 months.
The primary role of the Director of Public Health is to drive improvements in the health and wellbeing of Devon’s residents, to reduce inequalities in health outcomes, to work in collaboration with Public Health England and partners to protect local communities from threats to their health, and is therefore the Council’s leading senior officer in our fight against COVID-19.
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Councillor Stuart Barker is new Chairman
The new Chairman of Devon County Council is Councillor Stuart Barker, the local member for Ashburton & Buckfastleigh.Vice Chairman is Councillor Jeff Trail, BEM, the local member for Exmouth. They replace outgoing Chairman John Mathews and Vice Chair Margaret Squires.
They were sworn in at the Annual Council meeting on Thursday 23 July 2020, which was the first virtual live broadcast of Full Council. It's been really important that the democratic process continues as we work through the various social distancing restrictions; it was great that our technology enabled this to happen.
Face coverings to be worn in enclosed public space
Since last week, face coverings must be worn in shops, supermarkets, shopping centres and transport hubs.
People who are exempt from wearing a face covering may feel more comfortable using an exemption card to show that they don't have to wear one. Download one to print or save to your smartphone from the government's website.
Currently government guidance says that children under 11 do not need to wear face masks.
Under 3s should NOT wear face coverings
There have been reports that face masks for babies, also known as 'baby masks' or 'cute masks', are being sold in some parts of the country and online. Parents and guardians of babies under three years old are advised by Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards not to cover their mouths with facemasks as it could cause breathing difficulties.
While there have been no reports of ‘baby masks’ being sold in Devon, parents and guardians are urged not to buy them.
Devon’s health visitors lead the way nationally
The innovative way our health visitors have adapted to ensure that new parents in Devon continue to receive the support they need during the coronavirus pandemic has been recognised nationally.
With life severely restricted by the lockdown, and much of the face-to-face parts of our health visiting service suddenly impossible, they were quick to respond by making excellent use of digital technology to offer support virtually. All 1,575 babies born in Devon during the height of the lockdown, from March 1 to May 31, received a phone assessment and a community clinic appointment.
31 August deadline for 30 hours funded childcare
The Government has announced temporary changes to the eligibility rules so that parents are not disadvantaged by the coronavirus pandemic. Working parents who have a 3 or 4-year-old child, even if their income has changed, could still be eligible for 30 hours of early learning and childcare per week from September.
All eligible parents are encouraged to apply for, and reconfirm, their 30 hours and tax-free childcare entitlements, even if they have not been using their entitlement due to the coronavirus pandemic and the closure of childcare settings during lockdown.
Find out more and apply online before Monday 31 August
Shielding pauses from Saturday 1 August
From this Saturday (1 August), the Government's shielding programme will pause, unless the transmission of COVID-19 in the community starts to rise significantly. This means the support from the National Shielding Service, including free food parcels, medicine deliveries and care, will stop. Supermarket priority delivery slots will remain.
Since March, communities have rallied round, with volunteers helping those who have most needed help. Many of those charities, local groups and volunteers, are still there and still able to help. You can find a map of them on our website.
NHS Volunteer Responders will carry on delivering the groceries you buy and prescriptions if you need it. Telephone 0808 196 3646 (8.00am to 8.00pm).
There is also support available to help people who are feeling anxious about leaving the house.
Please continue to look for those we know who have been shielding - they may need your continued reassurance as they become as independent again as possible.
Care homes start to open carefully to visitors
Care homes were advised to temporarily halt visits in the early weeks of the pandemic to prevent vulnerable residents and staff from catching the virus.
The Government has now issued guidance on restarting visits to care homes.
To limit risk of infection where visits go ahead, the Government would like to restrict visits to one regular visitor per resident, as much as possible. Visitors will be encouraged to wear face coverings and to wash their hands thoroughly before and after putting on and taking off their face covering; and to wear other appropriate personal protective equipment depending on the need of their visit, such as gloves or aprons.
The new national visiting guidance requires our Director of Public Health, Dr Virginia Pearson, to assess arrangements here in Devon by carefully weighing up the situation in each individual care home, while considering the context in the local community.
Cllr Andrew Leadbetter said:
"As ongoing and regular testing in care homes continues we are expecting new cases of COVID-19 to be identified, and that's the purpose of the testing, it's doing its role in identifying asymptomatic people to then allow swift containment and prevent spreading. This will be a pattern over the summer and I will continue to ensure Members are aware of outbreaks in their areas."
Leisure facilities reopen
Gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools opened their doors again on Saturday 25 July, following strict new guidelines in order to keep their customers and staff safe.
Many gyms, leisure centres and swimming pools in Devon are run by district councils, so check the local district council's website to see what's reopening in your area and the special measures they have in place.
Helping hand to restaurants and other eateries
To give restaurants and cafes a helping hand, the Government's launched an Eat Out to Help Out campaign. It's offering discounts at participating restaurants and other establishments that serve food on-premises.
Establishments need to register in advance, for Government support.
From Monday 3 August to Monday 31 August (but only on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays), restaurants and bars, cafes and other establishments who use the scheme will offer a 50 per cent reduction, to a maximum of £10 per person, to all diners who eat and/or drink-in.
Customers don't need a voucher. The participating businesses will just reclaim the discounted amount through an online service.
One in five targeted by COVID scammers
A new survey by Aviva has found that more than one in five people think they've been targeted by coronavirus scammers.
Some 22 percent of people in the study believed that emails, texts, phone calls and other contacts they’d received from what appeared to be legitimate companies mentioning COVID-19, were in fact fraudulent.
Despite suspecting them to be scams, nearly half of those surveyed didn’t report it, the most common reason being they weren’t sure who to report such scams to.
Please report concerns, if something does not look or feel right, to Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133.
To find out about some of the COVID-19 scams to be aware of and how to stay safe, refer to the guide 'Stay Home, Stay Safe, Stay Scam Aware'. Or visit the Devon, Somerset and Torbay Trading Standards website for more information and advice.
Contacting the Police this summer
This summer we are expecting even more people than usual to visit the region, and Devon & Cornwall Police say this may cause a considerable increase in demand on their contact centres. They are asking that if people need to contact them, please 'ClickB4UCall'.
Devon & Cornwall Police offer a range of online services which can be used to report any non-emergency crimes and incidents including Report Crime Online, WebChat and Email 101. If you have a question, but you're not sure who can help, then make AskNED – their non-emergency directory - the first place you look to find the answer.
 It’s getting busier out there. Please Share this Space
A reminder to “Share this Space” has been issued to everyone using Devon’s roads and paths this summer.
We've published films, animations and graphics on our Share this Space web page, so that you can help us spread the message via your own social media channels.
Work to start on £55M infrastructure project
The first phase of a £55 million infrastructure project to help unlock the development of around 2,500 homes, employment land, and a primary and secondary school on the outskirts of south west Exeter will get underway on Monday 10 August.
Devon preparing bid for next phase of Emergency Active Travel Fund
We are preparing to submit our bid for the second round of Emergency Active Travel Funding by Friday 7 August. We are bidding for around £1.3 million to create more permanent schemes that provide extra space for pedestrians and cyclists in order provide alternatives to public transport and to improve safety and encourage more active travel.
 Celebrating Eid al Adha in our Muslim communities
Eid al-Adha will be celebrated on 31 July (dependent on moon sightings) and is traditionally a time for congregational prayers and coming together with family and friends. But with coronavirus still a threat to our communities, this year will be a little different.
Places of worship have now reopened for services and gatherings of more than 30 people are allowed in mosques that are strictly compliant with the Government's COVID-19 secure guidance.
The Muslim Council of Britain has worked with the British Islamic Medical Association to produce advice on how you can celebrate Eid al-Adha safely and in accordance with public health guidance in England. You can download a copy on their website.
Public Health England also has some useful information on their website.
Safe worship guidance is available in multiple languages on the Government's website.
To all those celebrating, please stay safe and Eid Mubarak.
By pulling together across the Council, with our partners and our communities, we are doing everything we can to help us all through this incredibly difficult time. Thank you to you and your community and stay safe and well.
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