Health chiefs reveal plan to control spikes in Covid-19 cases here in Northamptonshire

"We can learn from other areas and prepare to respond to any emerging outbreaks"
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Health chiefs have published a local outbreak plan detailing how Northamptonshire will cope with any sudden spike in Covid-19 cases.

Leicester was ordered back into a "local lockdown" for a further two weeks on Wednesday (June 30) following a surge in the number of positive tests in the city.

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Lockdown regulations are set to be relaxed in Northamptonshire and the rest of England this weekend with pubs and restaurants set to open for the first time in nearly four months in what Prime Minister Boris Johnson is calling 'Independence Day'.

Yet many scientists are warning more areas could be hit with the same restrictions as hotspots start to appear in other parts of the UK.

The Covid-19 outbreak prevention and control plan is designed to show how the County Council, in collaboration with Local Resilience Forum partners and other key stakeholders, will work with the NHS Test and Trace service and regional Public Health England Centre, to ensure Northamptonshire is ready to play its part in the 'contain' phase of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Northamptonshire's Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman said: “Although we now have our plan in place, it will be subject to change as we will need to adapt to changing circumstances.

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“By working in collaboration with partners, both locally and regionally, we can plan and prepare to respond to any emerging outbreaks and learn from other areas to ensure we are following best practice.

Shops were shut again in Leicester on Wednesday as the city went into a 'local lockdown' Photo: Getty ImagesShops were shut again in Leicester on Wednesday as the city went into a 'local lockdown' Photo: Getty Images
Shops were shut again in Leicester on Wednesday as the city went into a 'local lockdown' Photo: Getty Images

“It’s key that the public understand the important role they have to play in the delivery of this plan, both in following the measures set out by Government, but also through engagement with our teams to ensure that we are delivering the plan in a way that supports all sectors of our local community.”

A local outbreak is defined as having two or more laboratory confirmed coronavirus cases linked by time or place.

The local outbreak plan is designed to cover a range of scenarios including a rise in cases in high-risk settings such as care homes, workplaces and schools.

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Delivery relies heavily on a fully functioning NHS Test and Trace Service and the public continuing to follow social distancing measures and by self-isolating if symptomatic and seeking testing as soon as possible.

Northants' Director of Public Health, Lucy WightmanNorthants' Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman
Northants' Director of Public Health, Lucy Wightman

Prevention and management of outbreaks also requires county-wide collaboration, which means health officials working with local police, NHS, voluntary sector organisations and our local communities to deliver the plan.

The local health protection team will work with regional colleagues to access information, data and intelligence to aid the early identification of increases in cases and outbreaks, to plan appropriate actions, to monitor outcomes and to ensure clear communication and engagement with affected residents.

Covid-19 has so far claimed 633 known victims in Northamptonshire's two main hospitals and care homes county-wide, although the number of deaths and new infections has slowed considerably in recent weeks.

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Last night's latest official figures showed 1,691 positive tests in the county since the pandemic first struck with just 16 fresh cases in the last week.

But data published by Public Health England only shows results from swab tests in labs, in NHS hospitals and among health and care workers which are known as Pillar 1 data. Other tests on the general population — Pillar 2 results — are not included in published data.

An extra £300million funding has been allocated nationally to local authorities as a one-off grant to support delivery of the outbreak plans which were required to be ready by yesterday (June 30).