Dundee City Council Coronavirus Update

Dundee City Council is working closely with partners across the city to deal with the growing impacts of Coronavirus (Covid-19).

Officers are monitoring the local situation daily and following the advice given by government and NHS public health experts.

A number of meetings and events have been cancelled, and the council continues to consider appropriate actions based upon the national guidance.

Leader of Dundee City Council, John Alexander, said: “We have been preparing for this for some time and have plans in place to mitigate the impacts of Coronavirus.

“It is clearly going to be a very challenging time for everyone, in Dundee and beyond. We know from experience elsewhere that coronavirus is likely to have a significant impact on our communities over a period of some weeks, and therefore on public services too.

“Priority will continue to be given to essential and lifeline services, including those delivered to vulnerable people. I hope the public will understand that some other services may operate at reduced or very reduced capacity.

“Robust contingency plans are in place, and the situation is being monitored all the time. We’ll continue to provide regular updates to the public and our staff.”

In line with national guidance, all Dundee schools and nurseries remain open. Parents are being advised to follow the latest advice on self-isolation.

Councillor Alexander continued: “As a parent, I absolutely understand the delicate balance that is being maintained.

“At the moment, the advice of all the experts is that schools staying open is the right thing to do. Pupils should of course follow the latest advice on self-isolation, which has been updated to include household members showing symptoms.

“Officers in the children and families service are working tirelessly to put in place contingency measures to support pupils in the event of school closures.

“We are very mindful that this is an important time of year, from exams for senior pupils to the transition to primary school for those in nursery, and will do everything possible for our young people.

“That will include things like homework packs, which will be ready to go out if schools close, and access to digital learning.

“I understand that people feel anxious at this time, but it’s important that they follow official channels for the latest advice.

“Our social media channels and website have the latest information on council services and we will be providing a daily update.

“For advice and information on Coronavirus, updates are being provided regularly by NHS Tayside.

“In the meantime, your support is hugely appreciated. Please keep encouraging young people to wash their hands – advice can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ftp95y4KzUA”

Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership, meanwhile, is putting a number of measures in place to support the city’s most vulnerable people during the outbreak.

Councillor Alexander added: “I’m hugely grateful to the efforts being put in by colleagues across the council, the health and social care partnership and the wider public services.

“Already we’re seeing the best in people throughout the community too. We’ve seen a company, Waracle, give staff money to spend on a vulnerable neighbour. We’ve seen a helpline set up to combat the loneliness of self-isolation, to give just a couple of examples.

“Unfortunately, we’ve also seen some examples of panic buying in local stores, as in the rest of the country. I would encourage people to resist that temptation and only to buy what they need during this difficult period.

“These are unprecedented times, and there’s no doubt challenges lie ahead. Now more than ever, communities must pull together and look out for the most vulnerable among us.

“Let’s all do our bit – follow the national guidance, help out where we can and, most importantly, be kind and look after each other.”