NWN-291020

Thursday, October 29, 2020 15

NEWBURYNEWS

Newbury Weekly News

Care homes ‘fully equipped for cases’ WestBerks ‘betterprepare’dforsecondCovid-1o9utbreak Reporbt y NATHANHYDE Local Democracy Reporter email newsdesk@newbuyrnews.co.uk

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WITHIN hours of the Newbury Weekly News going on sale last week phone calls and messages concerning this year’s Over 80s’ Parcel Fund started flooding in. Much of the correspondence has been either to ask about donating to the Parcel Fund or to add the names of elderly friends and relatives to our Newbury Weekly News Over 80s’ Parcel Fund list. These calls and letters are, of course, most welcome and it is lovely to see the community come together again in what has been a very difficult year for many. Greenham Trust are helping us again this year via The Good Exchange and if you are able to

“We are all learning by experi- ence going forward and I’m not going to criticise anyone for what happened.” Together with council leader Lynne Doherty, chief executive Nick Carter and senior officers, Mr Bridgman sits on the coun- cil’s Gold committee that receives regular updates on all local aspects of the pandemic, including care home prepara- tions, case numbers, testing and PPE supplies. “We look at whether there are any cases in care settings and what their position on PPE is,” said Mr Bridgman. “We have a RAG rating of red, amber and green to gauge if there are any issues – at the moment, it’s a sea of green so I am confi- dent that care settings know what to do if something happens and are fully equipped to deal with any cases.” Due to a relatively low infec- tion rate, West Berkshire is currently covered by the medium alert level (Tier 1). In West Berkshire, two people can visit a resident if they have permission from the care home and adhere to social distancing measures and other advice. But if case numbers rise and West Berkshire is moved into the high or very high alert levels, then visits will either be signifi- cantly curtailed or stopped alto- gether. “We know what we would have to do if we were put into Tier 2 [high alert],” said Cllr Bridg- man. “We hope we won’t find ourselves in that position, but we’ve planned for it, so if we do, we’re ready.”

CARE homes in West Berk- shire are “better prepared” to deal with Covid-19 outbreaks than they were at the begin- ning of the pandemic. That was the message fromWest Berkshire Council deputy leader Graham Bridgman (Con, Burgh- field and Mortimer), who said the local authority has the equip- ment and the experience to protect residents from the deadly virus. In the first five months of the pandemic, 20 of the 42 care settings in West Berkshire reported outbreaks and the virus claimed the lives of 64 residents. At a meeting last week, Mr Bridgman, who is also the execu- tive member for adult social care, said: “I think we’ve all learned a huge amount over the last few months and we are now better prepared. “As time has gone on, we know a lot more about Covid and PPE [personal protective equipment] is now definitely not an issue. “We have the PPE we need and our staff are also more aware and better prepared. “Fundamentally, the number of cases in hospitals is considerably less than it was, plus the proce- dures for hospital discharge take account of Covid so we aren’t getting positive cases discharged into care homes unless processes are in place.” He added: “It’s not that there are no Covid incidents in care homes, but when they do occur, they are being dealt with.” Mr Bridgman also said that, with a very few exceptions, staff are able to access the testing they need, despite recent problems with the NHS Test and Trace weapons factories will be published next year, writes Local Democracy Reporter Nathan Hyde. The Government ordered West Berkshire Council to review and revise its Off-Site Emergency Plan for Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Aldermas- ton and AWE Burghfield by May 2020. The council says it has already revised it and “a public version of the plan to be made available in January 2021”. The plan sets how emergency services, the Ministry of Defence, AWE and the council should respond in the event of a nuclear emergency at one of the sites. THE Public Protection Part- nership has issued advice on the effects of fireworks on pets. Fireworks season is approach- ing, with Diwali and bonfire night coming soon and New Year’s Eve only 10 weeks away. The PPP animal warden team have published 10 tips on how to keep your pets calm and safe. 1. Make sure your dog is well exercised and has had a toilet break well before the fireworks

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WestBerkshireCouncidl eputyleader GrahamBridgman

system. Public Health England figures show 12 of the outbreaks recorded in West Berkshire care homes in the first five months of the pandemic happened before the Government ordered hospi- tals to test patients for Covid-19 before transferring them to care homes. But Mr Bridgman is refusing to blame the hospitals for these care home outbreaks. “We all know the country faced a very difficult situation,” he said. “Acute hospitals needed to ensure they had the beds, the spaces in ICUs [intensive care units], and the ventilators to deal with patients who were very ill, so it’s understandable that they needed to discharge patients from the hospital. The plan covers pre-deter- mined areas around the AWE sites, which are known as Detailed Emergency Planning Zones. Last year, the Office for Nuclear Regulation ordered both AWE sites in West Berkshire to make improvements to their safety procedures, but said it “does not consider that the issue poses an immediate risk to nuclear safety”. A council spokeswoman said: “The council, along with other members of the AWE Off-Site Planning Group did revise the AWE Off-Site Plan in May 2020. “The plan is currently going begin. 2. Feed your dog before the fire- works begin. 3. Make sure your house and garden are secure. 4. Ensure your microchip details are up to date and that your dog is wearing an ID tag. 5. Create safe places for your dog or cat to hide. 6. Draw the curtains and turn on the television or radio. 7. Check your local event pages, or talk with neighbours

Nuclear emergency plan January update A NEW plan that outlines what should happen if there is a nuclear emergency at one of West Berkshire’s atomic According to the council, the plan must “mitigate, so far as is reasonably practicable, the consequences of a radiation emergency”. through a further update as a result of some changes which should result in a further update by the end of November.

“It is under constant review to reflect organisational and opera- tional changes. “There is no requirement to publish the plan, but we are look- ing to create a public version of the plan to be made available in January 2021 to complement the information already issued in the booklet which is on the website.”

All councils which have nuclear sites within their remit were required to update their Off-Site Emergency Plans when the government introduced the Radiation (Emergency Prepared- ness and Public Information) Regulations 2019 (REPPIR) in May 2019. Fireworks advice to keep pets safe and calm

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8. Try using calming sprays, supplements and/or vests. 9. Avoid leaving your pets home alone. 10. Do not punish your dog for unusual behaviours or reacting to the fireworks as it will just exaggerate their fear – allow them to do what they are comfort- able with. To read the full guidance to pet owners on how to minimise the impact of fireworks, visit https://bit.ly/35mWjvQ

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