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04

Nov 2020

Last Updated: 04/11/2020

Harrogate district to get local test and trace system

by Connor Creaghan

| 04 Nov, 2020
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It comes amid reports the current national programme for test and trace is only managing to reach about 60% of those who have come into close contact with a positive case.

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The Harrogate district will be part of a local test and trace system operating in North Yorkshire from next week.

It comes amid reports the current national programme for test and trace is only managing to reach about 60% of those who have come into close contact with a positive case.

Dr Victoria Turner, a public health consultant for North Yorkshire County Council, revealed the news this morning at a briefing by North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, which is a partnership of organisations that responds to emergencies. She said:

"This follows the national trend where most councils now are moving to a local component of contact tracing. These obviously started in the areas of greatest concern, those that were in tier three.
"From Monday we will do contact tracing. Public Health England will start to hand over cases for us to follow-up from tomorrow. It's been quite a fast turnaround on that."


If the national test and trace system is unable to reach someone they will hand the case to the local team.

Calls will be carried out by trained staff at North Yorkshire County Council's headquarters in Northallerton seven days a week.

Dr Turner expects more people will engage with tracing if calls are made from a local number.




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The local call centre will also be able to signpost people to local support groups.

Richard Flinton, chief executive officer at North Yorkshire County Council, called on the community to pull together ahead of tomorrow's lockdown:

"We have got to positively embrace the national lockdown. I do understand it will have a knock-on effect for businesses and also for people.
"That's why we need to make sure that we look out for each other and think about those who we live near to. If we work together we can keep this lockdown limited and get to those benefits on the other side."


Coronavirus in numbers


The briefing revealed there are currently 15 coronavirus patients at Harrogate District Hospital — down one from last week.

The full-time testing site in Harrogate is testing about 150 people a day, which is about half of its full capacity.

The Harrogate district currently has a seven-day average infection rate of 252 cases per 100,000 people — higher than the national average of 225.