Decision details

The Executive considered a presentation providing an update on the Covid-19 pandemic from the Strategic Director (TP), assisted by other officers.  The presentation covered Local and National epidemiology statistics; Step 4 – Removal of restrictions; National Five Point Plan – Living with Covid; Testing, outbreak management and compliance; Community Response; Business Support and Grants; Business Continuity, new ways of working and wellbeing & resilience; and Communications update

The following matters were raised during the presentation:

·        it was confirmed that the 168 Covid-related deaths in Stevenage during the course of the pandemic were of Stevenage NHS-registered patients;

·        officers undertook to respond to Members with any statistics they were able to find in respect of vaccine effectiveness (including anti-body testing);

·        officers were requested to liaise with HCC officers with a view to asking the local bus companies to adopt a requirement for continued mask wearing on their vehicles (in line with Transport for London requirements); and also to investigate the possibility of continued mask wearing by the Borough’s taxi drivers;

·        officers agreed to confirm whether businesses were still required to use the QR code reader system for customers;

·        it was considered that increasing the awareness of businesses in the Neighbourhood Centres in respect of the grants and support funding available to them (and how to access such funding) should form part of the work of the Co-operative Neighbourhood Teams;

·        officers agreed to provide figures regarding the level of take up form businesses of the Covid-19 business support advice provided by SBC, the Business Technology Centre and Hertfordshire Growth Hub;

·        it was clarified that a new Daneshill House office layout with a reduced number of work stations would be launched in September 2021; the Museum was also planned to re-open fully in September, as during its closure many staff had been redeployed on other duties;

·        the backlog of complaints/service requests in certain areas, such as repairs, would be addressed in the coming weeks.  It was noted that a recent surge was primarily due to the easing of Covid restrictions and residents feeling more comfortable about operatives visiting their homes, which was not the case during the height of the second wave of the pandemic in early 2021;

·        officers undertook to share with Members the percentage of staff who had indicated that they wished to return to work full-time in response to the recent Employee Survey;

·        it was confirmed that work flexibility would remain for those staff who undertook a caring role within their family unit.  

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