The Isle of Wight Council has launched the latest addition to its coronavirus toolkit to control the virus and protect the Island.
The COVID-19 Prevention, Incident and Outbreak Control Plan provides a blueprint for containing and managing COVID-19 outbreaks to protect residents and support the most vulnerable.
Developed to support the national NHS Test and Trace programme, the strategy sets out how possible outbreaks in settings such as schools and care homes will be identified swiftly and suppressed before they gain momentum.
Outbreak management is seen as an important addition to the council’s coronavirus toolkit which also includes test and trace and the national Staying Alert campaign.
Launching the plan, Simon Bryant, the Island’s director of public health, said residents could help reduce the risk of outbreaks occurring by taking sensible precautions. He said:
“The most important thing we can continue to do is to adhere to social distancing, two metre guidelines and wash our hands regularly to help control the virus, and, in doing so, save lives.
“If we continue to do what we’ve all been doing for the last few months — taking sensible precautions — we can help stop the spread of this very contagious virus.
“If you’ve got symptoms, even mild ones, get a test immediately. Don’t leave home for any other reason. If you test positive, we can trace the people you’ve been in contact with, and contain the virus.
Article continues below this advertisement “The pandemic is not over so it’s the right approach for the Island to have a local outbreak control plan. This will help us monitor and quickly respond to any increase in cases of coronavirus on the Island.”
How will the plan work?
The council will work closely with Public Health England’s local health protection team to monitor cases of coronavirus on the Island.
Under test and trace, contact tracers identify people who have been in close personal contact with individuals who have tested positive for Covid-19, to advise them to self-isolate for 2 weeks.
If an outbreak occurs (2 or more confirmed cases in the same setting), the council will work with the local health protection team to manage the situation to prevent further spread.
The council and the local health protection team will be responsible for working with the place where the outbreak happened to tell them what to do next — for example, if anything needs to shut or anyone needs to isolate and what cleaning needs to be done, based on the level of risk.
A COVID-19 Health Protection Board will be set up to oversee and update the plan, while a separate member-led engagement board is proposed to communicate with the public.
Council leader, Dave Stewart, said the strategy supported the council’s Covid-19 recovery plans, including its recent work with local businesses and the tourism sector to help create ‘Covid-safe’ environments. He said:
“I want to reassure everyone that despite reports today that suggest otherwise, the Island is not at any immediate risk of a lockdown of the sort we are currently seeing in Leicester.
“Our rate of infection remains among the lowest in the country and we hope that with our outbreak management plan in place and the community’s continued support we can keep it that way.
“We want Island residents to be able to live healthy and productive lives but we need to achieve this in a way that is safe, protects our health and care services and enables the local economy to restart and thrive as we continue to respond to the pandemic.
“We believe the steps described in the plan are critical to preventing the spread of any infection and ultimately saving lives.
“It’s important that we prevent a second wave and as a community we look out for each other as we have throughout the whole coronavirus crisis, and continue to adhere to the social distancing guidance.”
The council’s Covid-19 Prevention, Incident and Outbreak Control Plan can be viewed here.
I also feel that we should not be allowing holidaymakers over anytime soon and should have tighter rules on people travelling on and off the island. Its only just my opinion but with keeping people who dont live on the island off for longer then this will surely help manage the spread.
They’re already here, every holiday home around me is occupied, number of people and cars has increased dramatically, back to driving round in circles for a parking space again, too many personal interests in the ferry firms from our local council, hence no total holiday/ second home travel ban, conflict of interest is the norm and ignored, it’s all ‘me myself and i are unanimous in that’ so sod what you think.
They’ve been coming and going all the time, they’re not going to stop it now, let’s hope everything will be ok
Too true
Again it’s the economy over our lives
The economy can recover later but the poor souls who have passed & future souls will never recover or return!
And our local MP wants the ferry to start running again. Objective destroyed before we even try to stay safe who’s receiving a big brown envelope
Need to start voting independents into county hall, several different ideas and opinions that will argue for the best i.o.w. solution instead of party and self agenda’s.
May be our so called mp will invite some holiday maker to a bq
Yes he will invite everyone to a bbq then when they are sick and need to use the nhs he will vote against nurses having weekly covid 19 test! Our MP is a hypocrite!!
He’s probally got money in the ferries!
Our half q sausage MP has a hone in Hereford no doubt without close neighbours
So if it goes bad here he will.get on ferry & dissappear to there.
Maybe a sausage maker would be more productive for him
What is being done to check those people visiting the Island. As a minimum precaution, their temperatures should be taken before they get on a ferry
The test that was supposed to give a result in 20 mins could have been done on the ferry and those showing positive, sent back.
BUT …. not heard a thing about it now for weeks, so, was it just another big statement by the Government yet again?
Best wishes going to do now is stop holiday makers until the virus is under control.
Hello, the more you test the higher the infections! The panic the fear, it’s just dam right pathetic and embarrassing. Months have gone by, most of you don’t even know anyone that’s been proven to have this flu virus, let alone know any healthy person with no medical condition that has died. Rediculous.
I am staying in my underground Bunker, working from home. Everything is delivered to me. See you all, well some of you in the new year if you are still around then. Good luck.
Don’t worry Boris is a world leader