Agenda item

Darlington Local Outbreak Control Plan

Minutes:

The Director of Public Health introduced the Local Outbreak Control Plan (previously circulated), and in doing so advised Members that Darlington’s Local Outbreak Control Plan (LOCP) was in place following the requirement from the Department of Health and Social Care; the LOCP described how Darlington Borough Council would work with partners to prevent and control COVID-19; setting out the role of partners in preventing and controlling COVID-19 with a focus on robust management of clusters and outbreaks through local surveillance.

 

The LOCP outlined the principles that underpinned the prevention and management of the transmission of COVID-19; there were seven key themes covered in the LOCP, Care Homes and Schools; high risk places, locations and communities; workplaces; local testing capacity; contact tracing in complex settings; data integration; and vulnerable people.

 

A Health Protection Board, consisting of multi-agencies was in place, taking management responsibility of the LOCP; its purpose was to lead, co-ordinate and manage work to prevent the spread of COVID19; and was accountable to the Health and Well Being Board.

 

Discussion ensued in respect of the time lag for Pillar 2 data and the potential impact on response to an outbreak; Members were assured that the information was now being received more timely and that some postcode data was being received through the test and trace service.

 

Following a question by Members regarding the number of deaths in Care Homes, it was confirmed that there had been 52 deaths in care homes in Darlington; this equated to 58 per cent of COVID-19 deaths in Darlington and that this fit with the national picture. Members noted that the NHS Infection Prevention and Control Team provided support and advice to care homes during the outbreak and were in daily contact with care homes in Darlington during the peak of the outbreak.

 

Reference was made to areas in Darlington that were frequented by an increasing number of residents, particularly during warmer weather; Members were advised that anecdotal information should be fed into the multi-agency group to help identify potentially high-risk places, locations and communities in Darlington; and Members queried whether the planning for outbreaks in education settings included private facilities in Darlington.

 

Concern was raised in respect of the mixed messages in respect of social distancing and the requirement to wear masks; it was felt that increased resources into communications was needed, with support from stakeholders and ward councillors.

 

RESOLVED – That the Local Outbreak Control Plan be noted.

Supporting documents: