TARGETED TESTING
FOR FRONTLINE STAFF AND MAJOR TOWN EMPLOYERS TO COMBAT COVID
NORTH East Lincolnshire is to roll out targeted testing for frontline staff and major Grimsby employers to help combat Covid-19.
The council has been working with Public Health to establish a plan for testing in the area as other authorities in the Humber region have been offered resources to increase their testing capacity.
But now, North East Lincolnshire Council leader, Philip Jackson, has confirmed Grimsby will see targeted testing implemented over the new few weeks.
This testing will be unlike the masstesting seen in other areas of the country such as Liverpool as t will directly target frontline staff, the area’s biggest employers, and those close to vulnerable people such as care homes.
The area has already had a significant amount of tests taking place, with more than 22,000 tests conducted in North East Lincolnshire in the month up to November 22.
Cllr Jackson said: ““It Itwill will be targeted testing but on a large scale.
“The Public Health representatives across the Humber region have been sharing the same view, which is to target testing in major areas.
“A lot of resources are needed for masstesting, all of the country is looking for their own resources and support, so we would rather focus on testing where it is needed.
“We have three different focus areas for the testing. Firstly, we will be looking to protect vulnerable people. Secondly, we will be testing people who work in vital sectors as frontline staff, such as council workers.
“Thirdly, we will be looking at enabling testing in large businesses that employ significant amounts of people in North East Lincolnshire, including food processing plants, and will be testing the staff there.
“We think it will be better working with businesses rather than seeking out people independently to come forward for testing.
“We are also looking into testing which can guarantee care home visits.”
The council looked into mass-testing for the area, but decided against it after seeing the difficulties Liverpool had in some parts of the city.
Cllr Jackson said: “We have looked at the e studies into mass-testing and believe that this is the best option for the area.
“We were looking at Liverpool’s masstesting and the cases were already dropping g before they started it, as well as finding low w turnouts in the most vulnerable areas.”
The council is also looking into more test provisions for the area, and using temporary ry testing sites to target hotspots if Covid-19 begins to spread is smaller communities.
Cllr Jackson added: “We are also looking into temporary testing sites in places such as Cleethorpes. We have found that people are hesitant or unable to make the journey over to Grimsby to be tested, especially if they have symptoms and depend on public transport to travel,” Cllr Jackson added.
“We will also be looking into bringing testing sites to specific communities when there is a sudden rise in cases in a certain area, especially over a few streets.”
The council leader also spoke about the incoming Covid-19 vaccines and the preparations they are making, as well as what we can do to keep cases down in North East Lincolnshire.
He said: ““We Wewill will also be planning to roll out mass vaccinations vaccinations, whichwill which will take up a lot of resources that we can save by not putting mass-testing in place.
“We might also look into doing more testing as we escalate vaccinations.
“But an emphasis also has to be on following the guidance and social distancing, I think a small but significant majority of people in the area were complacent because we had not been impacted by the virus, but have now experienced it first-hand or know someone s who has.
“Testing is not the silver bullet that will lo lower cases in the area, it will be a combination of a number of things, including social distancing.
“We all have to do our bit to help the area improve im but lower cases.”
The council’s testing plan will be set up alongside testing for care workers and NHS staff which will be put in place this month.
Dr Peter Reading, chief executive of Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust, confirmed they will be moving m to ‘lateral flow testing’ in December.
He said: “From this week (along with the rest of the NHS) we are introducing a new type of test, called lateral flow testing, which will see all patient facing staff provided with their own testing kit which they will be able to use at home.
“They will be asked to test themselves regularly r and can expect a result back within 30 minutes. If they are positive we will be asking them to have a second test, reported through a laboratory, to confirm that positive result.”