Member will receive an update on Covid-19.

The Committee received a focused presentation from Dr Somen Banerjee, Director of Public Health at Tower Hamlets Council that provided a comprehensive update on the current situation in the Borough with regard to food provision; the communications plan for vulnerable residents; planning for school outbreaks; the impact on social housing; as well as test and trace capabilities.. The main points arising from the discussion on the presentation are summarised below:

The Committee:

• Noted that Dr Somen Banerjee had agreed to attend on a regular basis to provide his expertise and latest information on the pandemic in the Borough
• Noted that comments were still awaited from the Executive with regard to the Review of the Borough’s response to Covid-19.  However, it was hoped that a reply would be received in the next few days and the response to the pandemic would continue to be monitored in the Committee’s regular meetings.
• Noted with regard to food supply and Covid that the Government will need to have a sustained plan as the pandemic and its associated economic fallout has compounded and deepened the situation in a Borough with the highest level of child poverty in London. There is a real concern that that not enough work may have been done around food sovereignty during the pandemic especially for younger children. Therefore, consideration should be given to the funding received from central government and what the Council has considered to address food supply and the impact that this will have on budgets in the future.
• Noted a recent issue raised by a resident or being misinformed that illustrated that it has never been more important for the Council to communicate effectively with residents including effective signposting and sharing of the relevant Government’s guidance.
• Commented that with regard the impact of the virus the Borough’s Bangladeshi community it has been indicated that they are apparently disproportionately affected because by the virus and housing conditions in Tower Hamlets. In response it was noted that looking at the available data it does seem to illustrate that there are high levels of Covid in local Bangladeshi population and with higher levels in multi-generational housing and overcrowding which is linked to a risk of increased transmission of the coronavirus.
• Noted that the Director of Public Health has been working very closely with housing associations to link national data to local housing data so that we can see within each housing estate where there may be an increase in the levels of the virus.  Therefore, through an ongoing dialogue with housing associations giving practical advice (i) about the cleanliness of communal areas; and (ii) to those living in overcrowded households about how they make their homes safe.  This is was an approach that initially linked to inequalities and ethnicity although there have been studies which indicate actually this is all about economic conditions; overcrowding and housing.
• Noted whilst there is no quantitative borough-wide data regarding self-isolating, Public Health have in their engagement work gained considerable insight into people's reluctance to get tested.  They have concerns about (i) confidentiality around applying for test and trace; and (ii) the economic impact of self-isolation.  This indicates that there is sufficient qualitative data to indicate that this is going to be a real issue within the Tower Hamlets' population.
• Noted that there's been a lot of work with schools through the pandemic and Public Health receive daily information about what's going on in schools and when there's a case Public Health England deal with these outbreaks they will contact the school and support decisions about self-isolating.  However, Public Health England have been inundated with request for support so schools are now being asked to do more of a risk assessments themselves whilst public Health England will deal with the more complex cases.
• Noted the Department for Education (DfE) have provided 2,500 laptops and tablets to schools in the Borough to help children and families access remote education during coronavirus. The DfE are also helping disadvantaged children who need an internet connection to get internet access. This is in addition to the laptops, tablets and 4G wireless routers that was distributed between May and July 2020 by DfE for disadvantaged pupils in year 10, care leavers and young people with a social worker.
• Noted that schools have been surveying pupils’ own access to both laptops and the internet. Also, they have been providing support to pupils and many schools have purchased laptops for pupils. The Poplar HARCA Housing has been working with schools around the provision of IT equipment and therefore most pupils will have got access to some kind of IT equipment and failing this schools do make a packs of paper lessons and materials available to pupils if their isolating.

In conclusion, the Chair thanked Dr Somen Banerjee, Director of Public Health for his presentation and Christine McInnes –Divisional Director, Education and Partnerships for her contribution to the discussions at tonight’s meeting.