Decision details

The Executive considered a presentation providing an update on the Covid-19 pandemic from the Strategic Director (RP), assisted by other officers.

Officers were requested to progress the following actions:

·        To ascertain to what extent (if any) the Army had been involved in the Stevenage Mass Vaccination Centre and Primett Road Testing Centre;

·        To investigate if there were statistics relating to the rate of those individuals who had refused the vaccination;

·        To find out from the clinical sector whether delays in the administration of the second dose of vaccine would be likely to affect its efficacy;

·        To ask the Hertfordshire Community Health Trust for further information regarding access arrangements to the Stevenage Mass Vaccination Centre for non-car users, and to request improved directional signage for such users;

·        To refer to the Local Resilience Forum a request that the eligibility criteria for the vaccine was clarified, and a priority was given for key workers, particularly the “blue light” services, to receive the vaccine;

·        To feed back to the operators of the Primett Road Testing site that the term “walk-in” was misleading, as the site operated via a prior appointment/booking system; and to feed back that the parking arrangements for the site needed to be made clearer for users on arrival;

·        To investigate the legal position with regard to the responsibility of employers to insist on workers receiving Covid-19 tests; and whether key workers would be eligible to receive a test, even if they were asymptomatic;

·        To maintain vigilance and the inspection regime in relation to the Covid-safe operation of food delivery services (delivery drivers, etc.);

·        To investigate and report back on the position with regard to potential funding for additional Covid Marshals;

·        To ask the appropriate health bodies to ensure that when producing literature and posters for display in Local Outbreak areas, the wording of such documents was clear and not designed to unnecessarily scare the local population;

·        To feed into the Economy Recovery Task Force details of the work being carried out with the Voluntary and Community Sector on the submission of a community recovery bid to the National lottery Fund for financial support;

·        To seek clarification from Hertfordshire County Council regarding its proposals for the provision of free school meals to disadvantaged children during the upcoming half-term, Easter, and Summer half-term holidays; and

·        To provide a link on the SBC website to highlight all of the Government’s various business support grant mechanisms/funds.

It was RESOLVED that the Covid-19 update be noted.