Fife Council has almost 8,000 staff on coronavirus-related leave

In a note sent to all councillors, MPs and MSPs council chief executive Steve Grimmond says that the local authority has 7,897 recorded instances of covid19 related leave, with 6,527 of these recorded as working from home.

Mr Grimmond says that testing will be available next week to relevant key workers and business critical employees who cannot work from home.

He also reveals that a new group has been formed to tackle the spread of the virus in care homes across the Kingdom.

The group is led by Public Health, and membership includes Fife HSCP, Care Inspectorate, Primary Care and Scottish Care.

Fife Council will also be aiming to roll out a Test, Trace, Isolate, Support (TTIS) scheme next week.

Mr Grimmond wrote: “In line with Scottish Government guidance NHS Fife is in preparation to deliver a programme of active case-finding commencing mid-

May. Led by public health, this programme will initially involve professionals contacting Fife residents whose COVID19 tests report as positive, identifying those with whom they have been in close contact and then following up those named contacts to advise them to self isolate.

“The programme will increase in scope over following weeks. We’re working with NHS Fife Public Health to establish the council’s role in this process.

“The environmental health team has experience in contact tracing as part of their normal role and we’re considering options for deploying volunteers from our Team Fife pool, NHS Fife and other professionals who have volunteered in the community. NHS will provide training.”

An NHS Fife briefing to elected members confirms the news, with plans to test all of those admitted to a care home from their own home now being tested before or on admission to a care home, and being cared for in isolation for 14 days thereafter.

NHS Fife also added that consenting staff and residents in care homes where covid19 is known to be present will be tested regardless of whether or not they are displaying symptoms. A mobile covid19 testing team is supporting the effort and providing additional testing capacity for residents and staff.

The Fife Council chief executive also revealed that almost £32m has been given out to support businesses in the area.

He wrote: “The second phase of the Business Support Fund went live on 5 May, allowing businesses with multiple eligible properties to claim 75% of the relevant fund for each additional properties.

“To date, 3,715 businesses have applied to the Business Support Fund, with 2,738 applications approved, and 183 rejected, representing a total awards value of £31,835,000.

“A new hardship relief fund for the self-employed went live on 30 April and 225 have applied so far, with 125 applications approved and 5 rejected.”

Mr Grimmond’s briefing also revealed that many staff will be working from home for the foreseeable future.

“We’re considering how we will return to buildings and offices with new ways of working, and reduced capacity to enable social distancing, once restrictions are eased. New staff induction and processes will be required.

“It’s likely many people will need to work from home for the foreseeable future and we’re starting to consider the longer-term impact on our workforce and technology solutions, as well as our approach to employment and staff policies.

“Services are scenario planning based on a range of potential government decisions

over the short-medium term.”