Council 24 March 2021- Covid-19 Response Questions
Care home vaccinations and visits
I would like to ask a follow-on question from the one I asked at the December Council.
As I said then ‘in this pandemic, one of the greatest tragedies has been seeing the forced separation of the residents of our care homes from their loved ones. For the residents of the care homes in our borough who have waited many months to finally meet up with family a visit cannot come soon enough.
I was delighted then to hear that from 8 March care home residents will be able to receive visits, albeit from one relative only and subject to the requirement that physical contact be limited to holding hands and that the visitor pass a lateral flow test and use PPE.
It is far from ideal, but it is a start, and it is my hope that we will do everything in our power to enable such visits to happen on a regular basis.
At the start of February, the Government announced that all residents and staff in care homes have ‘been offered’ their first COVID-19 vaccination and promised a second round of vaccinations in coming weeks.
Given that over one-third of all COVID-19 deaths have involved the residents of care homes achieving this would be great news.
However, I was informed on 4 March that in Oldham 91% of residents and only 75% of staff had received their first vaccination, with many refusals amongst staff.
My concern is that if staff refuse to be vaccinated then we shall still see outbreaks of COVID-19 in the future in our care homes.
Can the Cabinet Member please update me on the current situation, specifically I would appreciate answers to the following questions:
- Have all residents now received their first vaccination?
- When will the second phase of vaccination be completed?
- How is the vaccine being promoted to staff to increase take-up?
- And finally, could the Cabinet Member please give me the good news that vaccination and the introduction of testing for relatives has enabled regular visits to resume?
Councillor Howard Sykes, 24 March 2021