As one of eleven national Beacons for the Test and Trace programme, Warwickshire County Council, alongside Coventry City Council, Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council and the West Midlands Combined Authority, have today launched their Local Outbreak Control Plans.
The plans set out the approach taken by each authority to achieve their aim of reducing new community cases of Covid-19, whilst managing the most complex incidents of Covid-19 outbreaks in their communities. These include managing outbreaks in specific settings such care homes, schools, early years, children's homes, workplaces and homeless hostels.
Once cases are confirmed, specialist teams, working alongside Public Health England, will provide each setting with advice and practical support to safely manage Covid-19. Teams will also make sure testing for Covid-19 is available for people who need it and can be rapidly mobilised to manage outbreaks as well as providing extra support to help people to self-isolate.
Plans also set out what steps will be taken to control the spread of Covid-19 at local level if numbers grow and further steps are required to prevent the rapid growth of the pandemic locally, working with national government.
Working with local communities to get across the importance of continued social distancing, getting tested through NHS 119 and self-isolating if you are ill or have been in contact with a case is also a key part of local plans.
The plans will be overseen and have been approved by each local authority Covid-19 Health Protection Board which consists of representatives from Public Health England, NHS, Trading Standards, Environmental Health, Social Care Education.
All the Local Outbreak Plans and information on how we are keeping our communities safer can be found at www.staysafecsw.info
