For the Committee to receive an update from Public Health Dorset on COVID-19, to enable the Committee to monitor the ongoing pandemic and scrutinise the ongoing response to COVID-19.
Minutes:
The Director of Public Health for Public Health Dorset introduced the
progress report on Public Health response to the
COVID-19 Pandemic. The main points raised during the presentation were
as follows:
· The national strategy for dealing with Covid had changed and plans were in place for the Living with Covid strategy.
· Current data showed that cases of the Omicron variant were extremely high in January 2022, with a rebound in February, before appearing to fall at present.
· There was a significant change in public behaviour around the seeking of tests and more people were simply relying on PCR tests – therefore data is becoming less reliable.
· The National Prevalence Survey conducted by the ONS showed that prevalence rates were at 4.8% as of 23 February.
· The Government data shows that hospital admission rates for Covid are going down and that hospitals are showing a mixture of people who are admitted due to covid and those that are admitted for other reasons but also have covid.
Living with Covid Strategy:
· The Prime Minister announced a series of legal and policy changes regarding the national response to Covid on 21 February.
· This policy change saw the end of the legal requirement to self-isolate, with all regulations lifted, the end of universal free PCR and LFT testing to end on 1 April 2022 and a focus shift to protecting only the most vulnerable in the highest risk settings.
· Local authorities were asked to maintain limited responses to Covid as part of a wider health protection response, including other infectious diseases and hazards.
· Contact tracing was to stop (Test and Trace) from 24 February, which was to have a consequent impact on the local contact tracing teams.
· Surveillance would also change from relying on confirmed cases via testing to the use of prevalence surveys in the population – for example the ONS seroprevalence survey.
· There is currently no evidence of new variants that would pose a risk.
Public Health locally:
· Public Health teams would continue to offer a day response to support higher risk settings such as care, healthcare and education (especially for children with additional needs).
· Public Health would work with all local partners to review national guidance as it changes.
· Targeted community testing programme would end on 31 March.
· There is a limited supply of lateral flow tests that are to be held to support outbreak management and higher risk settings.
· Work would continue with contact tracing teams to retain skilled people who want to carry on working with the Covid response, this would involve some wider redeployment.
· The Health Protection Board would be maintained but would shift its focus to a broader health protection remit.
· PCR testing would end on 1 April with further clarification to be given on how to access testing if needed.
Vaccination programme:
· The Booster programme was slowing in its delivery, from 15,000 jabs given per day to 1500 per day.
· 83% of the eligible population had now had their booster, which was recognised as a huge achievement.
· The JCVI had recommended a limited 4th booster in the spring of 2022 for the most vulnerable groups.
· Focus was turning to understanding how best to shift to a sustainable model of vaccination, away from emergency rollouts.
· Public Health were awaiting more information about vaccines that would be available in Autumn which may provide longer term protection.
· Trusted Voice and Vaccine Ambassadors were continuing to work with communities to deliver impartial information about the vaccination campaign and improve the take up in those groups who were still yet to receive any vaccinations.
· The Committee heard that children aged 12+ were now being offered the vaccines. A data collection survey was being conducted on vaccinating children aged 5 and above, but that was not currently government policy.