LEADER'S ANNOUNCEMENTS
Minutes:
57.1 The Chairman invited the Leader of the Council to make her announcements.
57.2 Councillor Morley announced the following:
Covid-19
The progress that had been made in recent weeks with regard to the delivery of the vaccine had been amazing. Despite the snow, this progress had catapulted Suffolk up the league tables in terms of delivery of the first doses to the first 4 cohorts.
The Leader had met with Ed Garrett from CCGs to ensure that the Council was working as closely as possible with the NHS to support the delivery of the vaccine. Together they would be targeting the Council’s resources in getting to the minority that qualify but have not yet received their jab.
It was also fantastic to see the new asymptomatic testing site being rolled out in Stowmarket, which will shortly be followed be even more local sites too.
The Leader was also proud that the Council have been able to extend the Council tax hardship scheme to further help the most vulnerable in the district who have been most impacted by Covid.
In terms of Covid, she was sure the Council would all be glued to the TV on Monday to hear the PM outline the Government’s plans for leading us out of this lockdown. There were lots of reasons to be hopeful but in the meantime, she would like to reiterate the Suffolk wider messages that Suffolk Needs You… to follow the guidance: hands, face, space; to get tested regularly if you are unable to work from home; and to get your Covid jab when it’s your turn. In return Suffolk Supports You… through Home But Not Alone and our community involvement, the distribution of business grants, self-isolation payments and practical support for those most in need.
She wanted to pay tribute to our bin crews who were back out within 48 hours including working on Saturday, making collections and clearing the backlog as best they could despite the weather. They were currently 2 to 3 days behind and so unfortunately the delays would run into early next week even with working on Saturday again. This was particularly difficult since the Council had Covid related staff absences within the team which had caused the garden waste service to be suspended for now.
As it was half term, she also wanted to highlight the fantastic initiative in place, building on what had been done during the winter half term, to tackle holiday hunger. This scheme involved food parcels containing ingredients for five meals for a family of four distributed to families during half term. The initiative, delivered on behalf of the Council by Abbeycroft Leisure’s Explore Outdoor team, ensured no child went hungry when free school meals were paused during the school holidays. Families in need were identified by local schools and the food parcels also included ideas on how to make food stretch further in future – making a real difference to the lives of low-income families in our district. ... view the full minutes text for item 57