Hull City Council is finalising its local coronavirus management plan, in line with all local authorities nationally, as the Government’s Test and Trace initiative gets under way.
Responsibility for managing outbreaks of the virus now falls to local authorities across the UK and Hull City Council publishes its Outbreak Management Plan on Monday 29 June, setting out in detail the council’s responsibilities and how the process will work
The first phase of Test and Trace, which sees a national bank of tracers making contact with people who have had a positive test, is already in operation.
Its aim is to control and contain the spread of the virus by identifying people at high risk of having been exposed and ensuring they isolate. When someone tests positive for Covid-19, they are asked to provide details of anyone they have recently been in close contact with – those people will then receive a text, email or call asking them to isolate.
Now Julia Weldon, director of Public Health at Hull City Council, is urging people in the city to be ready to isolate if asked.
She said: “We’re entering a new phase now and, while some of what has been paused starts up again, it’s important to remember we are not returning to normal. The virus hasn’t gone anywhere, it is no weaker than it was when we entered lockdown. My message to you now is to please keep listening.
“Anyone with coronavirus symptoms of any age can and should now be tested. When someone tests positive they will be contacted and asked to isolate and to provide details of every person they have had close contact with during the time they have been infectious. This time period and how a close contact is defined will be explained. Those contacts will also then be notified that they are at risk of coronavirus and must also isolate.
“We should all expect to receive such a call and be prepared to isolate as required. Because there is currently no evidence that recovering from coronavirus provides immunity, we may be asked to do this repeatedly. People in Hull have demonstrated great resilience and unity so far and I’m confident we can and will meet this new challenge together”.
Find more information on Test and Trace here.
