Agenda item

To consider a presentation from the Service Director – Communities and Wellbeing

The Board considered a presentation from Matthew Pearce (Agenda Item 5) on the Covid-19 Situational Report. Key points were as follows:

·         Data released 1 June 2021 showed that weekly case rates were increasing in four of the six local Berkshire authorities, with a high prevalence of the Delta variant.

·         West Berkshire saw a slight reduction to 21.5 cases per 100,000 population, and had the second lowest rate in Berkshire.

·         West Berkshire’s 7-day case rates has fluctuated since March, linked to local outbreaks.

·         No Covid related deaths had been recorded in West Berkshire since the week commencing 7 May.

·         There were three Covid patients in Royal Berkshire Hospital, but none were on mechanical ventilation.

·         Due to vaccination rates and a higher rate of social mixing, younger age groups constituted the majority of new Covid-19 cases in West  Berkshire.

·         There were no geographical ‘hot-spots’ in West Berkshire.

·         It was noted that all viruses mutated over time, with variants of concern being those that spread more quickly or had more severe effects.

·         Of the five Variants of Concern, the Delta variant (originating in India) was  most concerning. It was estimated to be 40 percent more transmissible. It would likely become the dominant strain over the coming weeks, and accounted for 73 percent of sequenced cases.

·         Most of the Delta variant cases were amongst people yet to be vaccinated 

·         Two doses of the vaccine had been shown to provide good protection against the Delta variant and for those who were infected, fewer required hospitalisation.

·         Surge testing (enhanced contact tracing and door-to-door testing) had begun in areas of Reading and Wokingham to identify asymptomatic cases.

·         Uptake of the vaccine across all age groups should be encouraged, and individuals that lived, worked or studied in Reading and Wokingham should get PCR tested.

Meradin Peachey added that only 60 percent of Covid cases were sequenced and prevalence of the Delta variant was thought to be an under-estimate. Nearly all outbreaks in Reading and Wokingham were linked to the Delta variant. She noted that sequencing data took up to three weeks to be reported. The Delta variant was dominant in the North of England and was expected become so in the South, with higher hospitalisation rates expected. She confirmed that cases in Reading and Wokingham were not linked to travel and surge testing was underway to identify asymptomatic cases. She noted that outbreaks in schools in these areas appeared to start with parents.

Andy Sharp asked whether there was any modelling around hospital admissions and whether where would be issues around other respiratory problems. Meradin Peachey responded that there was no systematic modelling, as it is very difficult to know the criteria for modelling Covid-19 variants. Matthew Pearce added that modelling had been attempted, but it was too limited to be useful.

Councillor Lynne Doherty asked how a West Berkshire resident working in an affected area of Reading would go about getting a PCR test, and what advice and information was being offered to them. Meradin Peachey responded that information on up to sixteen testing centres was available on the Reading and Wokingham Borough Council websites, and that the Councils were approaching schools and local businesses to discuss dropping off PCR test kits for people to test themselves.

Matthew Pearce and Meradin Peachey noted that it would be useful to inform residents of the difference between PCR and lateral flow testing, as only PCR tests could be sequenced.

Councillor Alan Macro asked for confirmation that PCR testing could be accessed through Reading and Wokingham Borough Council’s websites. Meradin Peachey confirmed this, and noted the need for this to be communicated through West Berkshire Council’s website.

The Chairman noted that around three percent of people who had received both vaccine doses had contracted Covid. He questioned whether the incidence of the Delta variant correlated with vaccination data. Matthew Pearce responded that it did, as the younger age groups who had not been fully vaccinated accounted for the majority of cases. Meradin Peachey indicated that it was reasonable to expect infection rates of up to five percent amongst fully vaccinated patients. The Chairman asked whether those who had been vaccinated were less ill, which Meradin Peachey confirmed.