Weekly Update from Durham County Council

Weekly Update from Durham County Council

This week has seen a period of national mourning following the death of His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh and tomorrow we will join the nation in remembering him. Cllr Katie Corrigan, our Chairman, will lead a one-minute silence at 3pm in County Hall. The event will be broadcast live via our Facebook page to allow members of the public to join in remotely. Cllr Corrigan will be joined by Major Chris Lawton, Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham, and myself, as a national silence takes place across the country to coincide with the start of His Royal Highness’ funeral.

The Duke of Edinburgh visited County Durham many times, including in 1963, when he officially opened the new County Hall on 14 October. A plaque commemorating the event takes pride of place in the council chamber and will provide the backdrop for the moment of reflection. The silence will also be observed in all other county council buildings in operation on Saturday.

We are currently flying flags at half-mast at County Hall, Durham Town Hall, Crook Civic Centre and our offices at Green Lane, Spennymoor, as a mark of respect. Members of the public can also leave tributes to the Duke of Edinburgh via the Royal Family’s website at www.royal.uk/condolence.

Public health

Our current seven-day infection rate continues to fall and now stands at 23 per 100,000. This is the lowest it has been since early September. Rates are now below the England average (27.1 per 100,000) and hospital admissions continue to fall, with 12 coronavirus inpatients across County Durham and Darlington as of 13 April. For the latest data, including the number of vaccinations administered in County Durham and your local area, please visit our Covid dashboard.

This week has seen the easing of some restrictions with the reopening of non-essential shops, hairdressers, indoor leisure facilities and outdoor hospitality settings. However, our public health message remains the same: we are grateful for all that residents are doing to stop the spread of the virus, but it is vital that we continue to follow Hands, Face, Space to ensure the roadmap remains on track. Please also remember to stay local where possible and only meet up with up to six people or two households outside or in private gardens. The latest information and guidance is available at www.durham.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Vaccinations

Now that all over-50s and those in high-risk groups have been offered a first dose of the coronavirus vaccine, people aged over 45 are being invited for a vaccination. Appointments can be made via the NHS booking website.

Infection rates and outbreak control

We have seen low numbers of coronavirus cases reported this week, reflecting the current low infection rates which, alongside the roll-out of the vaccination programme, is very encouraging.

As of last Friday (9 April), all members of the public now have access to twice weekly rapid Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing. Tests are mainly being made available through the community collect service and a home delivery option. Alternatively, testing is available at any of our 14 local LFD testing sites, which are also operating as community collect and pharmacy collect sites for school home testing and for workforces that have signed up to government testing. As there is now a wide range of access points for testing, we have simplified the information on available through our Get a Coronavirus Test webpage. To order home kits, please use the online ordering system at Gov.uk: Order a coronavirus rapid lateral flow test.

Adult social care 

This week, the Government updated its guidance for working safely in both care homes and domiciliary social care services, including some amendments to PPE practice. In addition, two named visitors are now able to visit care home residents. Our commissioning and public health teams are working with providers across the county to ensure they understand the new guidance and to answer any queries.

I will continue to keep everyone up to date throughout these changing and challenging times. Information is available on the council’s website at www.durham.gov.uk and our social media channels www.facebook.com/DurhamCouncil and www.twitter.com/DurhamCouncil.

John Hewitt

Chief Executive (Interim)

Durham County Council