DECISION

1.    To note the contents of the report outlining our response to the Covid-19 pandemic over 2020-21.

Action by:

CHIEF EXECUTIVE (W. TUCKLEY)

(Director, Strategy, Policy and Performance (S. Godman)

(Head of Strategu and Policy Health, Adults and Community (J. Starkie)

Reasons for the decisions

To provide the Mayor and Cabinet with an overview of the wide range of actions undertaken by the council in response to the Covid-19 pandemic over the last year.

Alternative options

n/a

Mayor John Biggs introduced the report that that provided an overview of the council’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic over 2020-21. The Mayor described the council’s objectives to responding to the crisis and asked lead members for each of the objectives to provide more detail on each.

·         Councillor Rachel Blake, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Wellbeing highlighted the challenges the pandemic had placed on the council’s health, adults and community services, and the key actions taken to address them.

·         Councillor Mufeedah Bustin, Cabinet Member for Planning and Social Inclusion (Job Share) lead on social inclusion, highlighted the challenges the pandemic had placed on the council’s services to support vulnerable people, and the key actions taken to address them.

·         Councillor Asma Begum, Deputy Mayor and Cabinet Member for Children, Youth Services and Education highlighted the challenges the pandemic had placed on the council’s services to support children and families, and the key actions taken to address them.

·         Councillor Motin Uz-Zaman, Cabinet Member for Work and Economic Growth,  highlighted the challenges the pandemic had placed on the local economy and the key actions the council had taken to support employees and businesses.

·         Councillor Sirajul Islam, Statutory Deputy Mayor for Community Safety, Faith and Equalitieshighlighted the impact the pandemic had had on community safety and how the council had worked to ensure the borough remained a safe place.

The Mayor welcomed the report and contributions and highlighted the importance of engagement from the wider community in responding to the pandemic, including police and health partners, and the community and voluntary sector. He particularly applauded the work of Covid champions and other volunteers involved in such activities as awareness-raising, food delivery and vaccination drives.     

The Mayor moved the recommendations as set out and they were agreed without dissent. It was:

RESOLVED

1.    To note the contents of the report outlining our response to the Covid-19 pandemic over 2020-21.