Agenda and draft minutes

Covid-19 Recovery Working Group
Tuesday, 15th February, 2022 6.30 pm

Venue: Zoom - Online. View directions

Items
No. Item

17.

Apologies for Absence

Minutes:

Apologies for absence were received from Councillors Michael Hardware and Russell Perrin.

18.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

None.

19.

Minutes pdf icon PDF 182 KB

Minutes:

RESOLVED that the minutes of the previous meeting were agreed.

20.

Matters Arising

Minutes:

In response to questions by Councillor Tony Edwards, Councillor Charles said that funding had been allocated for research into the economic and wider impacts of Covid. The West Essex CCG had been working proactively to contact harder to reach groups. This had included getting those who are homeless to get vaccinated and through targeted letters to those who don’t have access to the internet.

21.

Update on Covid-19 Position pdf icon PDF 231 KB

Minutes:

Andrew Bramidge, Director of Regeneration and Strategic Growth, gave a presentation on the current Covid-19 position. Case rates and hospitalisations in Harlow were down. This followed the national and regional picture.

 

Vaccination rates had fallen far behind the national average. This could be due issues with school children getting Covid and not being able to get vaccinated for a 12 week period.

22.

Business Recovery Update

Minutes:

Simon Freeman, Director of Finance and Deputy to the Chief Executive, gave an update on two grant payment streams which had been introduced because of the Omicron variant. The first was aimed at the hospitality sector. The Council had been allocated £520,000 and had paid out £253,000.

 

The Council had also been given extra ARG grant funding for businesses that didn’t meet the criteria for the hospitality funding.

 

The process of distribution both grant streams had been going well, although it was not expected that the Council would pay out all of its allocation.

23.

Matters of Urgent Business

Minutes:

Councillor Charles said that given the Government’s announcement that all restrictions would be lifted at the end of February and the falling Covid infection rates, the Working Group would be passed for the time being.