Monmouthshire has set out a blueprint for administering the authority’s aims while communities face the coronavirus virus pandemic. Cabinet met remotely last Wednesday (6th May) and agreed our strategy with an emphasis on the protection of life with support for our county’s communities so they can be sustainable and resilient.
Council Leader, Peter Fox said: “The Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented challenge to our way of life. By clearly setting our strategic aims we will focus on the things that matter most to our residents, businesses and organisations, shaping our immediate response and our transition towards normality.”
The council will ensure that every person or family in crisis in its sights receives support and we will provide vital social care services for all who need them, including child protection, care at home and residential care. We will also play our part in COVID contact tracing, as well as providing access to emergency food parcels for shielded people who cannot leave home, coordinating community volunteering and supporting local food banks. To date, we’ve made calls to over 1,300 shielded people to check on their well-being.
Key workers’ children will be catered for in hub schools while the county’s other pupils will continue their education at home with emphasis placed on all receiving adequate access to digital technology.
Local businesses are to continue receiving the Welsh Government’s Covid-19 grants and we recognise that the £17m worth we’ve processed so far has been crucial to Monmouthshire’s economy. We will do all we can to ensure prompt payment continues.
Staff will receive the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) as required and work will continue to maximise our use of technology to provide vital services efficiently and effectively. Domestic waste and recycling collections will be prioritised with the number of vehicles increased and resources diverted from other services.
Other measures are in place and these can be found on our website’s coronavirus pages – www.monmouthshire.gov.uk/services/planning-for-emergencies/coronavirus/
Councillor Fox continued: “Despite the challenges of the past few months, our response to the coronavirus pandemic has resulted in innovative methods of carrying out our day-to-day business. These include rapid improvements in our digital infrastructure, attendance at remote meetings and increased cultural change with diverse teams combining as part of a single system. These improvements can form part of a lasting legacy of transformation with needs met in new ways. Meanwhile, my heartfelt thanks go to all staff as well as the county’s volunteers as we tackle uncharted territory. With your help and cooperation we can succeed in consigning coronavirus to the past.”