Covid-19 Daily Update

Headlines
Latest information on free school meals has been added to the county council website
All key workers who have need of/requested an early years/nursery place have been found provision to date
Gloucestershire Registration Service are set to take death registrations via telephone in line with recently amended legislation
We continue to promote key roles in care as part of our fast track recruitment campaign to help care providers fill a number of flexible, temporary and permanent paid roles. A media release was issued on 31 March.
The Gloucestershire Help Hub gains 2,000 volunteers in first week
If you need help or someone you know does, please visit the Community Help Hub or call 01452 583519.

Community Help Hub stats
As of Tuesday 31 March the following responses have been received via the Community Help hub:
I can offer help – 2139
I need help – 960
My neighbour needs help – 359
My business can help – 178
People should only register if they need help now, not if they may need help in the future

Daily stats
Confirmed cases in Gloucestershire: 156
Confirmed deaths in Gloucestershire: 10
Confirmed cases in South West: 733
Total UK Tests: 143,186
Total UK Cases: 25,150
Total UK Deaths (5pm 31 March): 1,789

Key links
National Guidance
General NHS advice
Latest advice and developments from Gloucestershire NHS
Gloucestershire’s Community Help Hub
Council service updates
Make an adult social care referral 

Your questions answered
Health
Q. Any news on how soon testing in the County will be carried out?
The UK does not have the resources of equipment or staff to do mass testing at the moment, although the Government is trying to increase its capacity.
Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust’s labs have been testing swabs for some time. The national testing strategy remains as follows:
The capacity for testing is limited however PHE are leading a programme to rapidly increase testing capability. Therefore the current testing provision focuses on testing of the most vulnerable people (the sickest patients in ICU and in hospital, testing to support management of outbreaks in care homes and other settings and then, if there is surplus capacity, the testing of key staff by exception).

Q. Is the county council supplying facemasks to members of the public for use in supermarkets for example?
Washing hands and social distancing are more effective at keeping members of the public protected for limited “contact” settings like supermarkets. Supplies of PPE need to be prioritised for key workers performing procedures that require closer or prolonged contact.
Facemasks don’t offer any real protection for members of the public.
Find out more on the PHE website: https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/

Q. There has been a sharp increase in domestic violence. Is the county council working with GDASS and the Beresford Group and others to find ways of sheltering people who are coming forward because of domestic abuse/violence; could hotels, b & b’s being used as accommodation for them?
Figures do not currently show a sharp increase, but it is expected to rise.
The county council commission the Glos Domestic Abuse Support Service and has have been working closely with them. GDASS has arrangements in place to work remotely and remain in contact with their clients and the other support services they work with. GDASS has is proactively sending out a weekly newsletter to a wide range of professionals reminding them to consider domestic abuse at this time and when in contact with service users or members of the public. This will include Stroud Beresford as the provider of the local refuge.

The sector nationally is very aware of the likely impact of COVID-19 on increasing the risk of domestic abuse in many households. More information is available on the gov.uk website.
If you or someone you know needs help visit www.gloucestershire.police.uk, call 101, or in an emergency always call 999.
Helpful links:
http://www.gdass.org.uk/what-is-domestic-abuse/
https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/
https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/children-young-people-and-families/report-a-child-at-risk/
https://www.hopehousesarc.nhs.uk/
http://www.glosrasac.org/