|
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. Find previous bulletins on our web page.
Do it for Devon
Stick with us and keep following the guidance to keep everyone safe and well.
We need the support of local residents and visitors to keep following the current government guidelines. Please remember to follow social distancing advice, wash and sanitise hands regularly, wear a face covering in enclosed spaces (unless exempt), and avoid busy places.
#RespectProtectEnjoy #DoItForDevon
Click to find out more about rapid lateral flow testing in Devon.
Friday 25 June 2021
How we'll continue to work flexibly in the future
In his latest update, Devon County Council's Chief Executive, Phil Norrey, outlined the results of our recent How We Work survey sent to all staff:
"Following the government’s announcement regarding the delay in lifting the remaining COVID-19 restrictions it’s important that we continue to do all we can to keep the people of Devon safe. The continuation of restrictive measures will help us to slow the increase in case numbers across the county, in the meantime enabling the NHS to vaccinate more of those in our community who have yet to be vaccinated.
"Government guidance with regards to returning to the office hasn’t changed - please continue working from home where possible.
"We do recognise that for some of you, face-to-face meetings and connecting with your colleagues is incredibly important both for business and personal needs – and this is evident in the results of the recent staff survey and focus groups.
"If you meet with colleagues in an office space, please do so safely. Our safer working principles are there to help keep you and others safe when in a DCC workplace – and always remember hands, face, space. We would also encourage you to take lateral flow tests twice a week to ensure you are minimising the risk of spreading the virus unknowingly. You can find information about testing on our website. If you decide to meet colleagues outdoors, please don’t gather in large groups – stick to the current government guidelines.
"The results of both the survey and focus groups tell us that there is a desire among our workforce to continue working flexibly in the future, with the opportunity to meet and connect with colleagues in a safe and comfortable environment. While we await the lifting of restrictions and any revised government guidance about the workplace, we will continue to look at ways we can support you to do this, ensuring we have the right technology and infrastructure in place.
"Work is now underway to analyse the survey results. Representatives from the How We Work Programme will be meeting with Senior Leadership Teams and Members soon to start service specific conversations and build action plans around your future working.
"From these discussions, we are seeking unity in our principles for the way we work across the organisation, and opportunities for more collaboration across services in the space available to us, rather than a single, uniform approach which simply won’t work for an organisation of our size and complexity.
"We know the outcome of this work will be of interest to all of you and we will continue to share regular updates through Inside Devon and on Yammer.
"Let’s continue to do all we can to keep Devon safe."
The government announcement last week that the lifting of many restrictions will be delayed until Monday 19 July is sensible from a public health perspective. Most of the rules limiting social contact will remain in place for a while longer, allowing more people to get those all important first and second dose vaccinations.
From an economic perspective, delaying the lifting of restrictions is bad for businesses. Our Leader, Councillor John Hart, repeated his plea to the government to ensure that Devon’s hospitality businesses continue to receive support, and he said the council will do everything it can to ensure our economy recovers strongly from the pandemic.
You can read more on our News Centre.
Members' Area
The new Members' Area - SharePoint site is your one-stop-shop to access resources to aid you in your role as a Devon County Councillor. Key documents from the Council's various service areas, including induction resources, are posted in the Document library, and the Who's who? highlights the best person for you to contact for an efficient resolution.
CCG Members' briefing - coronavirus vaccination in Devon
It is now more than six months since the vaccination programme began in Devon. Between 8 December and 6 June 1,373,440 doses were given and 90% of people aged over 60 have had both doses.
Please see below for the latest coronavirus vaccination briefing for Members from NHS Devon, Devon’s Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG):
You can view current and previous copies on the Provider Engagement Network (PEN) website.
 We will be back at the Devon County Show this year
Devon County Council and partners will be sharing a socially distanced stand at this year’s Devon County Show from Friday 2 July to Sunday 4 July.
There is going to be so much to see and do at our stand this year and visitors will be able to explore exhibits in a COVID-safe space, spanning a range of themes from the environment and Devon's climate emergency to business advice and support in Devon.
Read a full rundown of who’ll be joining us and what they'll be offering on News Centre.
Devon bids for Community Renewal Funding
A programme of bids totalling more than £12.2 million has been submitted by Devon County Council to a new government funding scheme which aims to support communities and businesses to recover after the coronavirus pandemic.
Devon County Council is bidding for a share of the £200 million Community Renewal Fund, which has been made available as part of a year-long test in advance of the launch of the government replacement for EU funding, the Shared Prosperity Fund.
Devon’s bid is made up 16 projects from across the county which have the potential to generate around 620 jobs, support the creation of 400 new businesses, and help 3,000 people to retrain.
You can read more and find the list of projects and schemes on our News Centre.
 Vaccination walk-in sessions, booking not necessary
Vaccine centres in Devon are offering “grab a jab” walk-in clinics this weekend, where adults of all ages can get their vaccinations without needing an appointment or an NHS number.
As the nation gears up for the removal of COVID-19 restrictions in July, it is more important than ever that people get both doses of their vaccine, to protect themselves and those around them.
The clinics will offer people their first jab of either the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. The walk-in clinics allow people to attend at a time that is convenient for them and means groups of friends can attend together to have their first doses.
It is also an opportunity for people who missed their second dose of the AstraZeneca, Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or haven’t got round to booking it, to ensure they are fully vaccinated.
Please remember that the interval between doses for all age groups is 8 to 12 weeks. That means anyone over 40 years of age who has had their first dose more than eight weeks ago would be eligible for a walk in slot for AstraZeneca. Anyone else over the age of 18 (and under 40) who hasn’t yet had a vaccination, would be eligible for a walk-in slot for a first dose of Pfizer.
Details of walk-in clinics for Devon are as follows:
Greendale, Exeter EX5 2JU
Friday 25, Saturday 26, Sunday 27 of June, 9.00am - 7.00pm, 1st doses of Pfizer and 2nd doses of AstraZeneca
Derriford Centre for Health and Wellbeing, Plymouth PL6 8DH
Friday 25 June, 8.30am - 2.00pm, 2nd doses of Pfizer
Plymouth Albion, PL1 4NE
Friday 25 June, 3.00pm - 5.30pm, 1st doses of Pfizer
Home Park, Plymouth PL2 3DQ
Friday 25 June, 8.30am - 7.00pm, 2nd doses of AstraZeneca
Saturday 26 June, Sunday 27 of June, 8.30am - 7.00pm, 1st and 2nd doses of Moderna
Rivera International Centre, Torquay TQ2 5LZ
Saturday 26 June, 9.00am - midday, 1st and 2nd doses of Pfizer
Thursday 1 July, midday - 7.00pm, 1st and 2nd doses of Pfizer
Barnstaple Leisure Centre, Barnstaple EX31 2AP
Saturday 26 June, 8.00am - 8.00pm, 1st doses of Pfizer
As we cannot predict demand for these walk-in sessions, please look on social media channels for short notice announcements if any of these sessions become oversubscribed, to avoid a unnecessary trip.
All adults can now book a life-saving COVID-19 vaccine
All over 18s are now being invited to book their COVID-19 vaccination through the National Booking Service (or by calling 119).
People aged 40 and over are now able to book their second jab on the national booking system from eight weeks after their first dose.
Don't forget to have your second jab when you are invited.
 Which COVID-19 test is appropriate and when?
We're hearing of situations where people who have a high temperature, or a new and continuous cough, or a change to their usual sense of taste or smell, are taking a rapid lateral flow device test to find out whether they have COVID-19. And then they're getting on with their day if the result is negative.
But the rapid lateral flow tests are not for people who have symptoms of having coronavirus - they're only to be used if you do not have any symptoms. Anyone with symptoms needs to self-isolate and arrange a PCR test as soon as possible.
For more information about COVID-19 testing in Devon, please visit our website.
Devon’s mobile community testing sites report steady demand
Devon's mobile community testing sites are reporting a steady demand for lateral flow device (LFD) COVID-19 testing, with 516 assisted tests conducted last week and 18,000 tests handed out for people to do themselves at home.
We set up our mobile community testing sites when LFD tests first became available, and we now have them located across the county. These are the rapid test kits for people who show no symptoms of having the virus and that provide a result within half an hour.
People are advised to take these tests regularly – twice a week, plus whenever they plan to meet up socially with others. They’re an essential part of stopping the spread of coronavirus, because one in three people with COVID-19 don’t show any symptoms of having it, and they could be spreading the virus to others unknowingly.
The rapid LFD test kits are widely available to collect from pharmacies and testing sites across Devon and can also be ordered online to be delivered to your door. And if you need help doing a test, you can visit one of our community testing sites too.
Lee Meaden, who manages our Community Testing programme, said:
“Even though LFD test kits are available and it’s easy for people to do the tests themselves at home, we are finding a lot of people are still preferring to have assistance from us to take the test. Our mobile testing units and staff are ready and happy to help. No booking is required. And we’ll get the result to you within half an hour, allowing you to get on with your day.”
A negative LFD result indicates that you are unlikely to be carrying the virus, but you must still comply with the rules around social distancing, wearing a face covering when indoors in public places, and washing your hands regularly.
A positive LFD test result will require you to self-isolate and arrange a confirmatory PCR test, and you must self-isolate pending the result of that PCR test.
 Rise in COVID-19 cases among school-age population – but schools not the cause
Devon County Council and Public Health Devon are working very closely with schools across the county, following a rise in cases across all ages, but predominantly among Devon’s younger and young working age population.
The rise is reflected in the number of young people needing to self-isolate for 10 days, most of them because they have been identified as contacts to people who have tested positive for coronavirus, rather than them testing positive themselves.
Schools are therefore seeing numbers of pupils off, and are supporting them with learning from home.
Steve Brown, Director of Public Health Devon, said:
“We monitor all positive cases of coronavirus in Devon. We know where they are, and by looking at clusters of cases how they are likely to have occurred. In most cases, the transmission has been through social contact most likely outside of a classroom environment.
“Schools have not stopped working hard to maintain the restrictions that they have had in place for many months. We, and the Education team at Devon County Council, are supporting each school whenever there are multiple cases within that age group. We know the measures that they have in place, and that they are following the current national restrictions.
“What it tells us is that behaviours outside of school – socialising, meeting up indoors, not wearing face coverings, not following the social distancing rules, all of this is putting people at much higher risk of catching and spreading the virus.
“My ask, to all young people and their parents, is to not allow yourselves to be distracted from what is still a very real pandemic. You might feel we’re over it, but we’re not, and it is down to every one of us, individually, to take control, follow the rules.
“We are likely to see case numbers continuing to rise in Devon for weeks yet to come. We can stop that, but it needs all of us to make that happen. We have not advised schools to make additional restrictions to those in place nationally, but we are monitoring the numbers and will intervene location by location, should additional restrictions be required temporarily.”
School admissions
The Department for Education recently published school admissions data stating that Devon is a high performing local authority in meeting parental preference for school places.
Devon primary schools
Devon is ranked sixth out of 150 local authorities in the country (and first in the 14 local authorities in the south west) for meeting parental preference requests for primary school places.
- 97.6% first preference rate for Devon primary schools, up from 94.7% last year, significantly better than national (91.8%) and regional (93.8%)
- 99.6% top three preference rate for Devon primary schools, up from 98.2% last year, better than national (98.0%) and regional (98.7%)
Devon secondary schools
Devon is ranked 28th out of 150 local authorities in the country (and sixth in the 14 local authorities in the south west) for meeting parental preference requests for secondary school places.
- 91.2% first preference rate for Devon secondary schools, down slightly from 92.3% in the previous year, significantly better than national (81.1%) and regional (86.5%)
- 97.5% top three preference rate for Devon secondary schools, similar to 97.4% last year, better than national (93.4%) and regional (95.9%).
 Everyone working in care homes to be fully vaccinated under a new law to protect residents
Care home residents will be better protected from COVID-19, following confirmation by the government that people working in care homes will need to be fully vaccinated against the virus.
The new legislation means that from October – subject to Parliamentary approval and a subsequent 16-week grace period – anyone working in a Care Quality Commission (CQC)-registered care home in England for residents requiring nursing or personal care must have two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine unless they have a medical exemption.
It will apply to all workers employed directly by the care home or care home provider (on a full-time or part-time basis), those employed by an agency and deployed by the care home, and volunteers working in the care home.
Those going into care homes to do other work, for example healthcare workers, tradespeople, hairdressers and beauticians, and CQC inspectors will also have to follow the new regulations, unless they have a medical exemption.
The new regulations follow an extensive consultation with the social care sector, staff, residents and their families.
The government will launch a further consultation on whether to extend this new requirement to other settings where people vulnerable to COVID-19 receive care, such as domiciliary care and wider health and social care settings, and will also consider inclusion of the flu vaccine.
You can read the full story on the government's website.
Watch the video made by Charlie in Plymouth who describes her experience of having Long COVID, and how it is impacting on her life (Source: Plymouth City Council).
Support available for people experiencing ‘Long COVID’
Long COVID describes the prolonged symptoms following a COVID infection, and is something that many people are experiencing. The symptoms have a significant impact on a person's physical recovery, psychological wellbeing, or ability to perform usual activities.
Plymouth resident, Charlie, has made a video describing her experience of having Long COVID, and how it is impacting on her life. In it she talks very openly about how her deterioration has affected not just her physical and mental health, but also how it affects her young daughters.
The website Your COVID Recovery, contains general information on all aspects of recovering from COVID-19, including physical, emotional and psychological wellbeing. It’s for people with Long COVID and their families or carers, and it signposts to agencies that can help.
Click to watch David Samuels speaking about Windrush, followed by the flag raising
Devon County Council marks Windrush Day
The vital role British African-Caribbean people played in rebuilding a devastated post-war Britain, and the subsequent challenges faced by their descendants, was celebrated and recognised as the Devon Windrush flag was raised at County Hall.
The flag was raised on Monday evening to mark ‘Windrush Day’ (Tuesday June 22), 73 years after the Empire Windrush arrived at Tilbury docks and its passengers began a new life in Britain.
The event was attended by members of the Celebrating Windrush in Devon group, Councillor John Hart, the Leader of Devon County Council (DCC) and the Chairman of DCC Jeff Trail BEM.
The Celebrating Windrush in Devon group is part of Devon Development Education, based at the Global Centre in Exeter, who through education, home learning, cultural events and community activities is Devon’s focal point for those interested in exploring the links between our lives and those of people from around the world.
You can read more on our News Centre.
 Hungry to know more about Devon Food Partnership?
A new Devon partnership has launched with the aim of making Devon a more sustainable food place, strengthening Devon’s food system and in doing so helping to address some of our pressing social, economic and environmental challenges.
The Devon Food Partnership has been established to enable collaboration and open communications with food stakeholders across the county, focussing on six key principles: healthy food for all; food for the planet; food governance and strategy; sustainable food economy; catering and procurement; and good food movement.
The food partnership will tackle a wide range of food themes, shaped around the work of Sustainable Food Places, one of the fastest-growing social movements today driving innovation and best practice on all aspects of healthy and sustainable food.
Devon County Council departments have worked together to set-up a cross-sector Devon Food Partnership with representation from a range of stakeholders, making this a collaborative initiative between a variety of organisations including National Farmers Union, South West Food Hub, Devon’s Local Authorities, and local voluntary and community sector representatives. The partnership has also launched a new website sharing up to date news and information about this innovative movement.
The website will provide regular updates from the latest projects, celebrate great outcomes and facilitate engagement. You can also sign up to receive regular email updates.
You can read more on Inside Devon.
Small delay for Devon's local libraries
The reintroduction of in-person library services - staff and library services operating like they used to pre-pandemic - has been delayed, following the Prime Minister's announcement on 19 June 2021.
Interim arrangements still stand. Book browsing is available in almost all libraries, with free access to computers, bookable in advance. Mobile libraries are out and about, with one household or bubble at a time able to browse the stock.
Indoor cafes in Exeter Library, Newton Abbot Library and Cullompton Library are open, for individuals and groups up to six people, and outdoor spaces are also open where available. The Home Library Service in Devon is being offered where volunteers are comfortable providing this service.
There will be some changes coming into effect over the summer:
- Loans from Monday 7 June have reverted to the standard three week period, and one week for DVDs.
- From Thursday 1 July up to 20 books can be borrowed at any one time.
- And reservation charges will recommence on Thursday 1 July.
For more information please visit the Libraries Unlimited website.
Click to watch #ThankYouDay video on YouTube
#ThankYouDay Sunday 4 July 2021
The nation’s first Thank You Day on Sunday 4 July will be an opportunity to thank all those in our communities who have helped during the pandemic so far. Organised by the Together Coalition, it is supported by organisations ranging from the Scouts and Guides, the Royal Voluntary Service and the Football Association.
There are lots of ways you can get involved or create your own Thank You – you decide!
You can download a range of resources, including social media assets, posters and community guides.
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.
|
