Prior to the commencement of the meeting the Convener intimated that this meeting of the Board would be recorded and that the recording would be available to watch on the Council's website.

Councillor J Cameron and Councillor Andy Doig.

Councillor Campbell declared an interest in item 2 of the agenda as she was an employee of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde but not in the Council's area and intimated that she would remain in the meeting during consideration of the item.

Councillor McGurk, Convener, presided.

S Black, Chief Executive; S Quinn, Director of Children's Services; M Crearie, Director of Communities, Housing & Planning Services; G McNeil, Director of Environment & Infrastructure; A Russell, Director of Finance & Resources; L McIntyre, Head of Policy & Commissioning and L Mahon, Head of Communications & Marketing; (both Chief Executive's); J Trainer, Head of Childcare & Criminal Justice and Chief Social Work Officer (Children's Services); O Reid, Head of Communities & Public Protection and C Dalrymple, Communities & Regulatory Manager (both Communities, Housing & Planning Services); K Graham, Head of Corporate Governance, S Fanning, Principal HR and OD Adviser and D Low, Democratic Services Manager (all Finance & Resources); D Leese, Chief Officer and S Strachan, Acting Head of Health & Social Care (Paisley) (both Renfrewshire Health & Social Care Partnership); V Hollows, Chief Executive (Renfrewshire Leisure); and D Mair, Civil Contingencies Manager (Civil Contingencies Service).

There was submitted a report by the Chief Executive relative to the Council’s current arrangements and response to the ongoing international Coronavirus, COVID-19 pandemic.
 
The report intimated that, locally, no COVID-19 deaths had been recorded in Renfrewshire for the last five weeks with a total of 206 people sadly having died in Renfrewshire since the outbreak of the virus. Two COVID-19 deaths had been recorded in Scotland since 16 July 2020. No deaths from COVID-19 had been reported in Renfrewshire Care Homes since 10 June 2020 and no care homes had reported residents with COVID-19 since 19 June 2020. No Care at Home service users had died with COVID-19 since 9 May 2020. One care home was currently reporting one resident with suspected symptoms of COVID-19, while 2 care at home residents were currently reported as having COVID-19 like symptoms.

Although the number of reports of positive COVID-19 cases from tests in Renfrewshire remained low the daily trend had increased during August. This upward trend in numbers of cases was more pronounced in the wider Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board Area. The last week of August saw a particularly sharp increase and on 1 September 2020 the Scottish Government imposed local restrictions in Glasgow, West Dunbartonshire and East Renfrewshire Council areas initially intended to last for two weeks but subject to review in one week. Residents were being asked not to host anyone in their homes or travel to visit anyone else in their home in another area; care homes would revert to only outside visits and hospitals would minimise all visits during this period. In Renfrewshire, plans for the reintroduction of visits in care homes had been paused with any indoor visiting stopped with immediate effect for the next two weeks. Public Health would review this position again in two weeks.

The report advised that new cases identified in the UK peaked around May 2020 at approximately 6,000 cases per day, declined steadily until June and had since started increasing again. Currently around 1,300 new cases per day were being identified in the UK. New cases identified in Scotland peaked twice, in late April and in early May at just over 270 new cases per day. The number of cases identified had declined steadily to July when around 9 new cases were being identified per day across Scotland. This number had also started to increase and in the 24 hours to 1 September a total of 154 new cases were identified.

The report intimated that in Scotland there had been 20,632 confirmed hospital cases, 264 were currently in hospital of which 6 are in intensive care. Of these, 5,597 cases had been within the Greater Glasgow and Clyde Health Board area. 66 new cases were identified in the GGCHB area overnight from 31 August to 1 September
2020. The most recent National Records of Scotland showed that at 9 August 2020, there had been a total of 4,213 deaths registered in Scotland where COVID-19 was mentioned on the death certificate – up 5 from 2 August 2020.

The report highlighted a number of policy and guidance updates including additional powers that had been given to Police Scotland to ensure indoor hospitality complied with guidance and to disperse large house parties; guidance on the use of face coverings in schools in light of the most recent World Health Organisation advice; and guidance on the opening of gyms and leisure centres.

The report set out details of funding announcements by the Scottish Government and outlined actions for economic recovery, including a number of key actions which were of direct interest to Renfrewshire.

The report provided an update on Council Services’ continuing response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Director of Environment & Infrastructure responded to questions relating to the operation of Renfrewshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centre and specifically in relation to a number of issues associated with the operation of the Underwood Road facility. Councillor Nicolson gave an assurance that proposals to minimise the impact of the Underwood Road Household Waste Recycling Centre site on local residents and the local roads infrastructure would be investigated. The Director of Finance and Resources responded to a question on the financial pressures on the Council arising from the pandemic; and the Director of Children’s Services on lunchtime provisions for pupils during periods of inclement weather. 

DECIDED:

(a) That the current national and local situation with regard to COVID-19 and the impact on communities, businesses, the Council and its partners be noted;

(b) That the response and recovery measures being put in place by the Council and partners as set out in the report be noted; and

(c) That the review of the operation of Household Waste Recycling Centres as reported in Section 5 of the report be noted and that it be agreed that proposals to minimise the impact of the Underwood Road Household Waste Recycling Centre site on local residents and the local roads infrastructure be investigated and reported back to local elected members in the first instance.

It was noted that there were no items for decision by the Board.

The Board resolved to exclude the press and public from the meeting during consideration of the following item of business as it was likely, in view of the nature of the business to be transacted, that if members of the press and public were present, there could be disclosure to them of confidential information.

The Chief Executive provided a confidential update to members.

DECIDED: That the update be noted.