The Board and Head of Communications and Media to consider any key messages to be communicated.
Minutes:
The Board and Head of Communications and Media considered the key messages coming from the meeting.
“Well done for sticking to the rules - things are looking up and we are on track, but we can’t let things slip now!”
• Case numbers continued to fall in all age groups across Devon and the county was the lowest upper tier authority in the country for cases;
• Highest case numbers were in the working age population who could not work from home;
• Concerns remained about outbreaks related to some workplaces and cases were still being seen in care homes and other settings;
• Hospital admissions and deaths were starting to fall;
• The vaccination programme continued to gather pace and was on track to meet national targets relating to priority groups 1 – 4 by mid-February. Most residents and staff in care homes had been vaccinated, the exception being those who had recently tested positive;
• the Vaccination programme was now rolling out to housebound residents in priority group 1; and,
• Community (asymptomatic) testing had now launched in Exeter and was starting to be rolled out across other parts of the county.
Public health messages had not changed:
· it was essential to break the chain of transmission and get cases as low as possible;
· people must continue to stay at home as much as possible and follow national rules around space, face and hands; and,
· people should only go out if they really needed to, stay local and avoid situations where they might come into contact with others.
Other key messages
Hospitals and health service
• Hospitals admissions were reducing but numbers in ICUs remained stable, with a number of patients transferred into ICU from outside of Devon;
• Nightingale hospital remained open for additional capacity; and,
• 111 First service was being promoted to help manage non-urgent cases and ensure people get access to care at the right time in the right place.
Mass vaccination
• Local vaccinations were being offered at all 4 main hospitals, 2 mass vaccination sites, 20 GP led local centres and some pharmacies were all now in place;
• Devon was on track to have offered everyone in the JCVI groups 1-4 a vaccination by mid-February, in line with the Government’s aim;
• Over 270,000 people in Devon CCG area had received the first dose including 92% of over 80’s (the highest number in the country);
• Now rolling out to people aged 70 and above, and those who were classed as clinically extremely vulnerable; and,
• No further volunteers were currently required to support local mass vaccine roll-out.
Key public messages:
• Being vaccinated reduced the risk of becoming seriously ill from COVID. However, people could still catch it and pass it on so it was important to continue to adhere to restrictions and public health guidance;
• People must let vaccine centres know if they could not attend their booked appointment for a vaccination to reduce wastage; and,
• Over 70s and clinically extremely vulnerable could now book an appointment at a large-scale vaccination centre or participating pharmacy centre whether or not they had received a letter.
Care Homes and vulnerable people
• Number of significant outbreaks and deaths in care homes was now reducing;
• Nearly all (96%) older people's care homes across Devon have had vaccination visits, with work ongoing to vaccinate the small number remaining;
• Small numbers of residents and staff who could not be vaccinated on the initial visits for a range of reasons were being followed up;
• Now residents and staff in registered care homes for people with learning and physical disabilities and mental health difficulties were being vaccinated;
• the vaccination plan was also taking in housebound and other vulnerable groups; and,
• a campaign to boost uptake by health and social care staff was underway.
Local Rapid Testing and Contact Tracing
• Community rapid testing programme for key workers who could not work from home and those supporting vulnerable people was now live;
• These tests were to help stop the spread of infection by identifying asymptomatic people and getting them to isolate;
• the first site in Exeter was working well with take up increasing;
• the second site (Barnstaple) was about to open. The roll-out of multiple other fixed sites and mobile units across the county was happening as soon as possible over the coming weeks; and,
• Local contact tracing service (to supplement national contact tracing) was now live.
Key public message
• This is a test to find NOT a test to release. A lateral flow test is useful for picking up asymptomatic positive cases so that people can isolate and not spread to others. A negative test gives does not give people a green light and they must continue to adhere to restrictions and public health guidance at all times
The Half term focus was on discouraging travel.