Issue - meetings

To consider a verbal update / presentation on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Executive considered a verbal update/presentation led by the Strategic Director (RP) on the Covid-19 pandemic.

The following issues were raised by Members during the presentation:

·            The Strategic Director (RP) was requested to ascertain from the Local Resilience Forum whether or not there was a targeted Covid suppression plan for Stevenage, and to share the answer with Executive Members;

·            The Strategic Director (RP) was asked if there was an answer to why the actual number of daily Covid-19 tests being administered nationally was significantly below the daily testing capacity;

·            The Leader undertook to raise the matter of statistics regarding cases of long Covid amongst children at the next Local Outbreak Management Board meeting;

·            It was noted that, on or around 1 December 2020, a site in Stevenage may be one of the first Covid mass vaccination centres;

·            In relation to the issue of those without transport being unable to attend mass vaccination centres, the Commercial & Licensing Manager undertook to raise this matter with the county-wide Vaccination Cell;

·            A number of mechanisms for Local Enterprise Partnership funding support for businesses were outlined, although these were reliant on the businesses contributing some funding themselves;

·            In reply to the question as to whether a business had to occupy premises in order to qualify for support funding, the Strategic Director (CF) stated that this was the case for Local Restriction Grants, but that officers were looking at how businesses excluded from previous financial support packages could be included in SBC’s discretionary support scheme; and

·            The Communications Team was requested to arrange for a message to be conveyed to the public with regard to the possibility that, due to officer time being focussed on issues relating to the pandemic, responses to some complaints may not be dealt with as speedily as in the past. 

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