Issue - meetings

The Board received and noted the report of the Director of Public Health detailing the current Covid-19 Situation update. 

Partner members of the Board gave verbal feedback on the situation in key sectors via presentations given at the meeting.  Those presentations were published alongside the agenda and reports following the meeting.

The Board particularly noted:

·  that since schools had reopened in the main there were no outbreaks to report;

·  evidence was emerging that infections in the older age group were going down whilst increases were showing in the younger age group.  This was to be expected as the vaccine was targeted at specific age groups; 

·  hospital admissions were declining week on week which was enabling health professionals to return to business as usual with a backlog of procedures waiting to be completed;

·  office of national statistics infection study over the last year was showing an initial similar rate of infection with neighbouring authorities;

·  targeted surge testing had resulted in no South African variant cases being identified;

·  the younger population were recognised as being susceptible to infection and work was continuing with the universities as students were expected to return after the Easter break; and

·  support was being given to the Port and retail sector as people were moving around more regularly returning to work and some leisure activities were due to open up.