Minister Sacramento’s Statement - Tuesday’s COVID-19 Briefing
Here’s the full text of Minister Sacramento’s statement at this afternoon’s COVID-19 information briefing:
Good afternoon everyone I hope that you are safe and keeping well.
Thank you for being with us at again at our information briefing.
We have heard today’s statistics as Gilbert has read them out. We have the same number of people who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 today as we did yesterday, and that is double the number of people when I last addressed you almost a week ago (6 days ago in fact).
I say this as a reminder of 2 things:
- that the virus very much continues to be among us; and
- that our figures could change at any minute.
To get a better picture of how prevalent the virus is amongst us, the Director of Public Health has commenced another random swabbing process, this one will be focused on front line workers.
You will recall that a few weeks ago, the Director of Public Health undertook random swabbing of 400 people, of these 10 swabs returned positive for COVID-19.
The current exercise, commenced a few days ago and that involved, as we heard Gilbert say, 148 samples that have been taken from frontline staff and this includes officers from the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Prison Service.
Generally, though, our numbers while having increased, continue to be low. They are low because of the lockdown measures that we took early on. Containing the curve enabled us to get ready for a surge. However, the more we move, the more we move the virus, let us not forget that.
That is why our advice to stay home remains. This is particularly so for those who are over 70 because the evidence shows that people who are over the age of 70 are more vulnerable to be affected.
As you will already know, tomorrow, the law for the over 70s lockdown will be changed and relaxed. As from tomorrow, that means that the law will allow for an additional exception to those that are already in place and people who are over the age 70 will be permitted to leave home in order to exercise.
The risk of the virus, however, continues to be the same and the advice to stay home remains.
We have, however, following the advice of the Director of Public Health, made this provision in an attempt to balance the importance of safeguarding from the virus at home and the need to exercise and enjoy the fresh air.
It is because of the risks, that we are taking measures to provide safe spaces, so that people who are over 70 can benefit from this golden hour and you will have heard me refer to this when I last addressed you.
During the weekdays, and as confirmed by the Chief Minister yesterday, we have identified 4 locations that will be made available to people over the age of 70 only, and they may be accompanied by an adult member of their household too.
These areas will be made safe by sanitising them during the period of 10am to noon for those who wish to take this up. Now that does not mean that people need to be there for all of this time, indeed the general advice, not just for people who are over 70, when we discuss exercise it has always been said that 20 minutes a day is enough.
Our elderly population are of course very precious to us, we are doing as much as we can to protect them. These measures that we have announced are of course no guarantee and everyone needs to be mindful that the risk emerges the minute that you leave front door. We have made provision for special facilities should you wish to take these up, but you have heard our clear advice on the subject, the rest is up to you.
I would like to dedicate some time this afternoon to speaking about mental wellbeing and mental welfare.
We find ourselves in strange times indeed. It is not easy to stay home for prolonged periods; it is not easy because it is not normal. Not much of what we are doing of late is normal is it? We have had to change the way we work, the way we see and greet each other, even the way that we celebrate birthdays.
Most people are by now getting used to the idea and managing well. We are after all a resilient community and as a people we have become adept to facing challenges over the generations.
You will have heard me mention before that we have specifically set up a COVID-19 Psychological and Mental Health Support team to help us during this period and I would like to give a summary of the work that they have conducted.
The team consists of deployed Government public sector professionals in the areas of psychology, therapy, human resource management and emotional welfare.
The objective of this team, instructed by the office of Civil Contingencies is twofold, primarily as presented in prior press conferences, the COVID-19 Mental Welfare Team was tasked to establish a support programme, for essential services front line staff. The second objective was to ensure systems and mental welfare support was established for the rest of the community.
The past 5 weeks, since this team was set up, have seen the team create and deliver repeat training packages on “Front Line Resilience Management”. This has been delivered to the GHA, Care Agency, Education and Elderly Residential Services. A total of 224 managers or key professionals have been trained. Active Listening Training has also been provided to The Education Senior Management Teams.
The training programme called FRM has been adapted by the COVID Welfare Team from Trauma Resilience Management Training. The FRM training offered to senior managers in charge of staff groups, enables structured welfare assessments for such staff to include, an internal peer support system between managers and colleagues. Additionally, the tools supplied through this training further enable managers to conduct welfare checks at the start and end of shifts. Such welfare checks importantly help identify which staff may require extra specialised provision or support. Such identified staff would then be further supported and referred to an in-house, on-site specialist Counselling Support Service.
This service has also been set up by the COVID-19 Mental Welfare team. The concept of professional onsite support during working hours lies in facilitating a space and opportunity to diffuse stress levels, enabling where appropriate a return to the workstation and ultimately building staff resilience through a supportive network.
This Counselling Support Service for staff is already operational and offers 7 days a week support between 9am and 9pm. Currently 7 Counsellors from within the public sector have been placed on a rota to offer this service. Referrals can be made directly to them for anyone from within the public sector.
This welfare service has also been extended to Customs and HM Prison by members of this team as well. The team additionally conduct welfare visits.
The COVID Mental Welfare Team has further set up a team of voluntary, but fully accredited counsellors to support the community for any issues pertinent to anxiety, fear, nervousness, stress and worry in relation to COVID-19. This service has been operational for the past 4 weeks. These Counsellors for the Community can be accessed via the telephone number 200 41818 who will ensure persons are contacted by a counsellor to work on any issues being presented. So, as you can see, over the last 5 weeks there has been a very well thought out plan by this team of professionals to ensure that the support is there. Whether it is in house to our front-line professional staff or to people in the community who may be feeling anxiety.
Now in order to supplement this, the team is also looking at online platforms so that automated help can also be provided by way of information and they are also looking at developing apps so that general information can also be gathered.
This week this team will be launching a befriending service for people in Gibraltar to support those in the community who may live alone and may be struggling during these times. This service will be offered to people who have already been identified by the Care Agency as part of their audit process or may also apply to become part of this service. Contact details on this service will be made available during the course of this week.
What I have explained are new services, a new initiative that has been set up precisely for this period and difficulties that may arise for people in community during this period, needless to say existing mental health services that are provided by the GHA and by other agencies such as Care Agency and Bruce’s Farm also continue. They may be offered in a different way, some counselling sessions may be offered remotely, but the services at Ocean Views, Community Mental Health Service and the Primary Care Service continue to deliver for our community in the same way in which they have always done.
I would like to thank the strategic team, the COVID-19 Mental Health Team and this includes:
Kay Rajkumar
Sean Keating
Alfred Rovegno
Shane MacDonald
Assisted by Amy Chipolina and Kyle Bear.
Lizanne Peralta heads the volunteers counselling team.
Many thanks also to all the counsellors who have given up a lot of their time to volunteer their services.
This very essential team is led by Giselle Carreras and I would like to thank everybody so much for the intense way in which they have worked to deliver for Gibraltar during this period.
Moving on to other matters, a reminder that as Dr Rawal said a few days ago, there will be another exercise to test St. Bernard’s Hospital and the Nightingale facility on Thursday as we continue to prepare ourselves and to be ready in the event that there should be a surge. Of course, we do not want to see that, but we need to be prepared, nevertheless.
Today is Regimental Day, as well as Workers Memorial Day and I would like to pay tribute to everyone from the Royal Gibraltar Regiment and particularly to its current and retired members who have worked so closely with us to support us throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you.
Finally, as Gilbert, the Minister for Employment, has said, the Chief Minister and he, along with the Trade Unions have marked today as Worker’s Memorial Day. Also, and Gilbert referred this this, I have a video of the tribute that has been led by Minister Balban and the GHA staff at St. Bernard’s Hospital today in honour of the NHS staff who have lost their lives to this. It was certainly very moving. Thankfully, this is not something that has happened here, but it is very right and fitting that the GHA have chosen to mark it in the way that they have.
It is indeed a poignant reminder that we are all in this together, in Gibraltar and globally. We will get through this if we stick together, if we follow the rules and follow the official advice. Let us not forget that this is a virus that is very new and one that professionals continue to study and learn about and the advice that we receive changes rapidly. We will always be guided by the clinical and public health advice in the decisions that we take.
So, on that note I will repeat the official advice which of course you all know by now:
Stay home, stay safe, wash your hands regularly and if you sneeze catch it, bin it, kill it. I would also say and invite everyone to be kind to each other and support one another and keep smiling as we will get through this.
Thank you.
