Covid-19
COVID-19 Cases and direct impact:
The COVID-19 Pandemic has impacted all residents in Barnet, but some have been impacted more than others. This section of the JSNA will report the current case rates and the direct impact in terms of hospitalisations and mortality. As our understanding of the wider impacts of the pandemic increases, we will publish further insights on this page alongside information on how Barnet Council and its partners are responding to these challenges.
The Barnet Vision for restoration and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic is: “To work in partnership with our communities to mitigate and minimise the longer-term socio-economic impacts of COVID-19, so that our residents have access to the right tools and resources to live healthy and fulfilling lives in safe and thriving families and communities”.
Our hope is by publishing available data and evidence we will support each other in enabling this vision.
The COVID-19 Dashboard provides the latest data on the number of cases, testing, hospitalisation and bed occupancy and mortality. We also provide the case rate and number of cases by Ward on the subsequent pages. A summary infographic can be found on the main Barnet website (Barnet weekly COVID-19 dashboard | Barnet Council).
On Monday (31st of January 2022) the UK Health Security Agency (UK HSA) updated the way in which COVID-19 cases are counted to an episodes-based methodology. This new approach means people who test positive more than 90 days apart are counted as a case who has had an additional COVID-19 infection.
Wider impacts of COVID-19:
Unemployment
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the employment of many with a large number of employees furloughed as firms were unable to maintain operations. Additionally, a number of firms have ceased trading resulting in people being laid off. The implications for workers go far beyond those furloughed or laid off, according to research by the London School of Economics, increased unemployment creates significant anxiety among those who retain their jobs; the negative impact on wellbeing experienced by the whole community is four times the effect on the individual alone. Moreover, for people still at work, much has changed.
The Barnet JSNA provides details of the number of people claiming out of work benefits.
The unemployment dashboard can be viewed here JSNA – About the Borough – Barnet Open Data
Food Security Dashboard
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to widespread increases in food insecurity, affecting vulnerable households in the UK. The impact is expected to continue through 2021, into 2022, and possibly beyond. The dashboard provides information on Foodbank usage, Free Schools Meals (FSM) uptake in schools and Healthy Start uptake. Please note the caveats, on the first page of the dashboard, with respect to the data quality.
Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) / Long Covid in North Central London
Post-Covid Syndrome (PCS) is a term used to describe the signs and symptoms caused by Covid-19 infection that persist beyond 12 weeks. A very wide range of symptoms and syndromes have been reported with PCS, and the pathology and biological mechanisms underlying these are poorly understood. Patients require a wide range of services and support, with a proportion experiencing significant impacts on their health, daily life and functioning. This Needs Assessment summarises the available evidence and intelligence to understand the population health needs of Post Covid-19 Syndrome (PCS) in North Central London (NCL), to inform immediate service planning and the system response.
Post-Covid Syndrome Needs Assessment in North Central London