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6.
October
2020.
Cardiff Council Update: 6th October

Here is the latest update from Cardiff Council, covering: Cardiff cases and tests, last seven days data; the latest schools affected by COVID-19; a Cardiff-based actor is championing his new role as a domiciliary care worker; Council homes boost for west of the city; and a UK-first as Cardiff parks get zero emissions electric tractor.

 

Cardiff Cases and Tests - Last 7 Days Data

Based on latest figures from Public Health Wales, data correct as of:

5 October 2020

Cases: 396

Cases per 100,000 population: 107.9

Testing episodes: 5,043

Testing per 100,000 population: 1,374.5

Positive proportion: 7.9%

 

Update on schools affected by COVID-19: 6thOctober 2020

Cathays High School

There have been two positive tests at Cathays High School in the last 24 hours. 150 pupils and six members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Mary Immaculate High School

There has been a positive test in Mary Immaculate High School of one Year 8 pupil. 28 Year 8 pupils have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case. No staff members need to self-isolate.

Ty Gwyn School

A Year 9 pupil in Ty Gwyn School has tested positive. Three pupils have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case. No staff members need to self-isolate.

Kitchener Primary School

There has been a positive test in Kitchener Primary School of one pupil in Reception class. 27 Reception pupils and three members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Lakeside Primary School

A member of staff at Lakeside Primary School has tested positive.  60 Year 3 pupils and another two members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Llanederyn Primary school

One member of staff at Llanederyn Primary school has tested positive. 29 pupils and a further three members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Severn Primary School

A member of staff at Severn Primary School has tested positive. 28 Year 4 pupils and another member of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

Ton Yr Ywen Primary School

A Year 2 pupil in Ton Yr Ywen Primary School has tested positive.  60 Year 2 pupils and four members of staff have been advised by Public Health Wales to self-isolate for 14 days after they were identified as close contacts of the confirmed COVID-19 case.

 

"The most worthwhile journey"

A Cardiff-based actor, more used to treading the boards and the TV lights than a career in social care, is championing his new role as a domiciliary care worker.

Bill Bellamy, a founder member of the National Youth Theatre of Wales who trained at the city's Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, has described his experience of becoming a care worker in the city during the COVID-19 emergency as  "one of the most worthwhile journeys that I have been on for many years."

Back in the spring, Bill responded to one of the Council's social media appeals to recruit more care workers into the role, at a time when the sector was facing some of its greatest ever challenges to care for and protect elderly and vulnerable people in our cityy as well as keeping staff safe.

After registering with Cardiff Works, the Council's own in house recruitment agency, Bill was supported through the various courses and qualifications he needed to become a care worker by the Council's Adult Community Learning service, which as well as providing recreational learning opportunities also offers into-work training to support people into employment.

Bill is now working as a care worker in the community, providing care to people in their own homes.

He said: "As the Covid-19 pandemic hit us, minds, and certainly my mind, turned to the thought of what can I do to help out my city in its time of need. The industry I had worked in for over thirty years completely disappeared with little prospect of it starting up again soon, so it was lucky for me that the Council call out came at exactly the right time.

"A few days after I answered the Twitter call out, there then began a whirlwind couple of weeks where, along with a dozen or so volunteers we were trained up at the Council's expense."

The Council's workforce, alongside its commissioned social care providers, have safely delivered more than 600,000 hours of adult and children's domiciliary care since the start of the pandemic, and have continued to support adults and children in care homes and supported living arrangements during these challenging times. More than 150 Council staff were re-purposed from their usual roles to support frontline services across adult and children's social care services.

Cabinet Member for Social Care, Health and Wellbeing, Cllr Susan Elsmore, said: "Cardiff's care workers have done an amazing job in supporting older and vulnerable people. Their response to these extraordinary times has been remarkable and the city is extremely grateful for their work to keep our loved ones safe.

"Bill's story is inspirational. It's a wonderful example of adapting in difficult circumstances and it's great to hear how rewarding he finds his new role. We hope his valuable and honest insights will inspire others to consider a role in the care sector in Cardiff."

Read more here:

https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/24888.html

 

Council homes boost for west of the city

Construction of 16 new homes to boost the city's supply of affordable housing is about to get underway.

Cardiff Council has appointed Encon Construction to develop the site of the former ATC cadet centre on Caldicot Road in Caerau. The site will consist of six one-bedroom flats, seven two-bedroom houses, two three-bedroom houses and one four-bedroom house.

The scheme is part of the Council's housing development programme, which aims to deliver more than 1,000 new council homes in the city by 2022, and a total of 2,000 new homes in the coming years. All 16 homes will be available for rent from the Council.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: "Caldicot Road will provide a good mix of new council homes helping to increase the supply of good quality, affordable housing in the city.

"The houses will be built to high standards of sustainability and energy efficiency in an area where we need more social housing. There are around 7,700 people on the housing waiting list at the moment, with many waiting for larger family homes, so it's good to have a range of properties that meet the needs of our communities."

Read more here:

https://www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk/releases/c25/24895.html

 

UK-first as Cardiff parks get zero emissions electric tractor

Cardiff Council is set to be one of the first local authorities in the UK to purchase an electric tractor, following a successful trial at Forest Farm Nature Reserve.

The Farmtrac 25G electric tractor, which charges via a standard 3-pin plug, will replace a diesel run tractor currently used for meadow management, and is expected to half the emissions currently associated with this work.

The council has already reduced emissions from its direct carbon footprint by 33.5% from 2015-2018.

The new, lighter and smaller equipment will also allow the team to increase the collection of local provenance seeds from grasslands with high biodiversity value. These seeds can then be used to restore lower quality areas as part of the city's ongoing pollinator project.

Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, Cllr Bradbury said: "Our forthcoming ‘One Planet' strategy will set out in detail our plans to tackle the climate emergency, but in the meantime work to continue reducing our carbon emissions is progressing across the Council. Introducing this new technology into our parks service is another step on that important road."

The council's electricity is provided on a 100% renewable energy tariff.