Your questions answered
To make sure your questions get answered promptly by the team, please continue to send your questions directly to democratic.services@gloucestershire.gov.uk
Extinction Rebellion digital disruption – please read, particularly if you have a public facing social media account
The county council has received national advice that there is an expected Extinction Rebellion digital disruption planned for Tuesday 1 September. It’s possible that this may affect us and you should be prepared for disruption.
Social media accounts may experience both known and new malicious attacks. Many of our members and local Town and Parish Councils use social media to communicate with residents, and may find this warning useful. We do not know if Extinction Rebellion will target GCC member accounts as well as our corporate ones, however we expect digital disruption in the form of floods of messages, possibly abusive. There may also be an impact to GCC Switchboard and Emails.
If you need any advice or information, please contact democratic services on the usual email (democratic.services@gloucestershire.gov.uk)
Bank holiday messages - how you can help
As we head into the August bank holiday weekend, we are issuing more social media messages to help combat the likely increase in crowds.
We have been working with Visit Gloucestershire to showcase the number of different places people can visit in the county – without having to follow the crowd – and what steps they can take to prevent the spread of Covid-19 when they get there.
If you see these on the GCC facebook or twitter please share on your accounts too.
Please provide an update for the testing portal?
We have been made aware the national online portal to book COVID-19 tests is experiencing problems as it has reached capacity. We have no local control over this in Gloucestershire.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has advised us that the National Testing Programme is experiencing exceptionally high demand due to a number of factors such as the return of schools, and this is expected to remain high for the next few weeks. To help manage demand, testing slots are being made available the evening before for morning appointments, and on the morning for afternoon appointments. If its not been possible to book an appointment straight away, the DHSC has advised that they are continually working to make more slots available, so people should regularly check the website.
Important information on face coverings for members, staff and visitors:
- You should maintain the two metre social distancing wherever possible and from Monday 31 August, please follow these new guidelines on face coverings:
- You should wear face coverings if you are in contact with members of the public or visitors and unable to maintain the two metre social distancing, such as escorting someone to a meeting room. Once you are able to maintain the two metre distancing, such as when you are seated, you can remove the face covering.
- Visitors to our offices should also wear face coverings when they are in a public area, for example, main reception and when they are being escorted to a meeting room. We will be putting up signs to remind visitors but if you have an appointment with a member of the public, please advise them before they arrive. Again, face coverings can be removed once they are able to maintain two metre social distancing.
- Face coverings must be worn by members of the public in registry offices and libraries at all times.
However, if you or your visitor are exempt from wearing face coverings under national guidance then this still applies.
COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund for food and essential supplies
The COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund for food and essential supplies is there to support vulnerable children, young people, working age adults, older people and their families during the challenging and unprecedented times of the Coronavirus outbreak.
Individuals or Families can self refer or be referred by any professional working with them.
The Fund is overseen by a panel who manage the fund and can access financial assistance for vulnerable children, young people, working age adults, older people and families. The panel provide a consistent and effective response to escalating need and ensure that people get the support they need. The panel assess a person or families need against the eligibility criteria and cross reference other funding that may be available to vulnerable children, young people, working age adults, older people and families.
The Covid- 19 Emergency Assistance Fund has received over 90 referrals since its launch at the end of July 2020. Individuals and families have received support including food, utility payments and essential household items.
There is still low uptake particularly in Cotswolds and Tewksbury and there has also been a low uptake among older adults.
We are promoting the fund through a number of different channels but feel this information will be useful to you and your constituents. Please feel free to share this information with them if you received enquiries for support.
The fund will only be available until October so its important communities are made aware of the fund and how to apply.
The application can be found https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/media/2097744/emergency-assistance-grant-form.pdf
For further information https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/gloucestershire-welfare-support-scheme/
¹ The above data reflects nationally published data available here.
² This section contains information on deaths of patients who have died in hospitals in Gloucestershire and had tested positive for Covid-19 at time of death or where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate. All deaths are recorded against the date of death rather than the date the deaths were announced. It is based on national NHS data published here.
³ Weekly death figures provide provisional counts of the number of deaths registered in England and Wales for which data are available. From 31 March 2020 these figures also show the number of deaths involving coronavirus (Covid-19), based on any mention of Covid-19 on the death certificate. Figures by place of death may differ to previously published figures due to improvements in the way we code place of death. This figure does not include deaths of those resident outside England and Wales or those records where the place of residence is either missing or not yet fully coded. For this reason counts may differ to published figures when summed. Bank Holidays could affect the number of registrations made within those weeks.
⁴ Care homes vary in size and in the characteristics of their residents. Outbreak data is also being reported publicly here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/covid-19-number-of-outbreaks-in-care-homes-management-information. The figures here are slightly lower than our local figures due to a time lag. The number of cases (confirmed or suspected) has not been reported due to limitations in data accuracy which means comparison is not possible. This information is being used for operational purposes. As testing in care homes increases we will review whether adding this information will add additional strategic insight.
⁵ CQC publish figures on deaths where Covid-19 was suspected in the notification from the care home, as well as all cause mortality (since 10 April 2020). It is probable that not all deaths due to Covid-19 will be notified as such, conversely Covid-19 may be mentioned but not have been a contributory factor in a death). While CQC numbers are more comprehensive than local reporting, they are not currently reported by district council.
⁶ Please note that there is a possibility of last minute changes if the MTU’s are diverted to assist with outbreak control both in this county or elsewhere.
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