Public services hit by Covid absences
Public services are being stretched because of staff absences due to Covid-19 – particularly in the hospital and schools – although the States has stressed that services are being maintained.
States chief operating officer Jason Moriarty also said that some private sector businesses were being affected.
The most recent official figures from a week ago showed there were 1,527 known active cases, with numbers steadily rising. Updated figures are due today.
Numbers of Covid patients in hospital stood at nine yesterday and last night the hospital moved to limit visitor numbers to one visitor per patient each day.
Some operations will be postponed and cases are rising in nursing and residential homes. Hospital staffing is also being impacted by Covid cases.
Covid rates remain particularly high among young people, with one in six school children off last Friday. But some schools have been harder hit than others.
‘It’s fair to say that staff absences linked to Covid, whether that is because staff have the virus or are acting responsibly and staying off work when unwell, continue to impact States-run services, as is being experienced across some private sector businesses too,’ said Mr Moriarty.
‘While some of our services are undoubtedly stretched, so far we have been able to mobilise our workforce with the flexibility required to ensure services are being maintained.
‘We are continuing to monitor closely.’
Education is one of the areas being most heavily impacted for both teachers and pupils. There have been reports of almost half the pupils in some classes being off in some schools.
Latest available statistics as to attendance levels at States of Guernsey schools were also provided yesterday after questions about absence levels 'from the Guernsey Press.
Primary school attendance rate was 87.4%, said the States, which was a drop of about 5% in the last month.
The figure for secondary schools stood at 84.1%, an increase of about 7% in the last month.
For special schools, the rate was 77.6% - a drop of about 4% in the last month.
