Recovery, Renewal, Resilience

The city of Napier, New Zealand conducted a wellbeing survey to understand how the community was feeling about the pandemic, its impacts, their concerns and expectations for the future. This survey was then used to inform planning for recovery, renewal and other Council programmes. The Napier Recovery Plan identifies five key initiatives which can address issues for recovery and opportunities for renewal:

• “Support and Celebrate Napier” by launching a “We are Team Napier” campaign which focuses on promoting innovation and achievement in the local economy and within communities, e.g. “Environmental restoration of green spaces” comprising of a community-led partnership with the Council, land agencies and other relevant stakeholders
• Investment in local infrastructure and community facilities, e.g. “3 Waters projects supporting the renewal of Napier’s water supply and strategic water services”, to ensure everyone in the community has access to safe drinking water
• Establish a coordinated approach to housing and accommodation to ensure everyone has access to safe housing, e.g. “Continue partnerships established during Alert Level 4 to provide emergency accommodation” and establish “public-private partnerships to repurpose city centre visitor accommodation for transition and/or permanent residential accommodation”
• Introduce a targeted ‘Jump Start Innovation Fund’ to promote innovation in business and not-for-profit sector. Other initiatives include: Appointing business support liaisons to assist and advise on Napier Council regulations and initiating a “redeployment scheme” for SMEs
• A focus on advancing sustainability within the tourism sector, e.g. establishing a partnership with the Art Deco heritage trust to drive domestic tourism

Psychological First Aid (PFA) provides basic emotional and practical support to help reduce distress and enable a person to adapt, cope and recover. Specific amendments may be needed to include COVID-19-related issues and recognised that some people may be at risk of more serious distress. For COVID-19 some of these risk factors include:

• Being at higher risk of contracting COVID-19
• Have serious losses, e.g. of loved ones, livelihood
• Already experiencing significant stress
• Have pre-existing mental illness
• Absence of a well-developed social network

Consider:

• Providing PFA training for organisations and the wider community e.g. schools, religious groups (as it is not just for professionals) to alleviate strains on health and social care services
• Providing additional training to volunteers on how to safely recognise when someone may need more specialised support
• Ensuring that those who provide PFA have sufficiently accurate and up-to-date information on COVID-19
• That those who provide PFA have cultural and social sensitivities for the locale
• Offering additional training to volunteers on how to recognise if their own mental health and well-being needs are being met

Extreme fatigue, nausea, chest tightness, severe headaches, "brain fog" and limb pains are among the recurring symptoms described by some sufferers of COVID-19 for weeks/months after their diagnosis. NHS England has developed an online portal for people in England to access tutorials, contact healthcare workers and track their progress called "Your COVID Recovery". Consider development of similar services that include:

• Access to a clinical team including nurses and physiotherapists who can respond online or over the phone to any enquiries from patients
• An online peer-support community for survivors - particularly helpful to those who may be recovering alone
• Exercise tutorials that people can do from home to help them regain muscle strength, and lung function in particular
• Mental health support, which may include a psychologist within the service or referral into other mental health services along with information on what to expect post-COVID
• Face-to-face provision for physical rehabilitation where possible, ensuring the safety of staff and patients
• Support from professionals such as dieticians, speech and language therapists, occupational therapists
• Cultural practices and relationships with rehabilitation needs

There is also an ongoing need for data collection about a nation's health to understand the long-term effects of this disease.