Health chief calls for tougher rules
THE area’s hospital chief says he wants to see tougher Covid restrictions to help the NHS weather rising Omicron cases.
Gavin Boyle, chief executive of the University Hospitals of Derby and Burton NHS Foundation Trust, said more restrictions would help healthcare services avoid being overwhelmed.
But Barry Lewis, leader of Derbyshire County Council has said he is against a Covid passport proposal, favouring people’s “freedom to choose”.
Mr Boyle hopes the new Covid-19 measures are brought in this week by MPS – who were due to vote last night.
Plan B restrictions, alongside a Covid pass, were voted on yesterday – despite up to 80 Tories likely rebelling against the measures – and meant, if passed, masks being compulsory in shops, on public transport, post offices, hairdressers and takeaways.
It also sees a requirement for a daily negative test result for anyone identified as a contact of a Covid-19 positive person to avoid self-isolation.
A “Covid status certification” – referred to as a Covid pass or Covid passport – would be necessary for access to nightclubs and large venues. This means only people who are fully vaccinated or have proof of a recent negative lateral flow test would be allowed entry to those venues.
Mr Boyle said: “Plan B is upon us, with masks coming back into use in parts of our communities today and other guidance aimed at reducing the spread of Covid-19.
“I say hopefully, because we in the NHS know what it means to care for those who get hit the hardest by this terrible virus. We would all prefer not to wear a mask all day or have arm ache after getting an injection but we know stopping the spread through infection control and vaccination works.
“Clearly the new prevention measures will not have an immediate impact on our hospitals because we’ve maintained masks, distancing and other measures since day one of the pandemic. But the new measures for our communities should help.”
Mr Boyle encouraged residents to get vaccinated when they offered, as a vital first line of defence against the virus – but to also continue maintaining other safety measures.
“The vaccine is not a guarantee you won’t contract Covid-19 but the overwhelming evidence is that if you’ve had jabs you’re far less likely to become seriously ill.”
Cllr Lewis, said: “I believe in our great country which mobilised a brilliant vaccines response to this pandemic. What makes our country great is the freedom to choose, hence I cannot support the notion of Covid certification.
“It doesn’t penalise the one that won’t get it but rather those that will get it. We’re the ones that are going to have to prove we’ve had them. I find the arguments of those who won’t get the vaccine frustrating and wrong”.
Scientists, health officials and politicians are already talking of more measures being required, possibly after Christmas, including the reintroduction of social distancing.
On Sunday Prime Minister Boris Johnson moved a target for booster vaccines to offer everyone aged 18 and above a third jab dose by the end of December.
GPS and healthcare professionals are to begin enrolling participants across Derbyshire to a clinical trial investigating the effectiveness of new oral antiviral treatments for Covid-19, which can be safely taken at home. The Platform Adaptive Trial of
Novel Antivirals for Early Treatment of Covid-19 in the Community (PANORAMIC) trial will rapidly assess a range of purpose-designed antiviral treatments.
Medics say these treatments could help clinically vulnerable people with Covid-19 in the community recover sooner, prevent the need for hospital admission and ease the burden on the NHS.
They are intended for use in the very early stages of infection, by people in the community who are at higher risk of complications.
There are two routes into the trial: Local people can log on to the national website – panoramictrial.org – to join the study if they are aged 50 and over, or between 18 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that make them clinically more vulnerable.
Those who have received a positive PCR may also be contacted by the trial team or a local healthcare professional to consider enrolling in the study.
All participants will need to have had a positive Covid-19 test and be within five days of the onset of symptoms.
A total of 10,600 volunteers are needed nationally, to take part in the study.
Half the participants will be randomly allocated to receive the antiviral treatment plus standard care, while the other half will receive standard care alone.
Participants do not need to visit a clinic or hospital to take part and will keep a daily diary for 28 days through the PANORAMIC website or receive a phone call from the trial team on days 7, 14 and 28 to speak about their symptoms and any NHS care they have needed.
Tom Spencer, research and development manager at Chesterfield Royal Hospital, said: “This is a great accolade for the region.
“The team have worked closely in recent years to increase research across our GP sites at Royal Primary Care.
“Being selected as one of the first hubs in the UK for this important study is great recognition for the work we have put in to date and ultimately is a real positive option for our patients and local population.”
The trust is also involved in delivering the national recovery trial, which was the trial that demonstrated dexamethasone is an effective treatment option for the virus in hospitalised patients.
Dr Peter Scriven, divisional director of Royal Primary Care, said: “When taken in the earliest stages of infection, these ground-breaking, purpose-designed, Covid-19 antiviral treatments hold the potential to greatly improve outcomes for those patients most at risk from the disease.
“As orally-administered treatments, designed to be taken at home soon after the onset of symptoms, the drugs work by disrupting and preventing the virus from multiplying inside the body.”