Leader: Tracing system is great news for Kirklees
A LOCALLY-ENHANCED contact tracing service is to be rolled out in Kirklees after the council partnered with its neighbour in Wakefield.
Council leader Shabir Pandor called it ‘great news for Kirklees.’
The move follows pressure for local authorities to handle test and trace in their areas.
And it means local community knowledge will be used to make contact with hard-to-reach positive cases to identify their close contacts where the existing NHS Test and Trace system has been unable to do so.
Health chiefs said the local service will be ‘fully integrated’ with the national service, with the local element being developed to provide further support.
Contact Tracing Officers who have undergone specialist training will follow up with people yet to respond to NHS Test and Trace, via text or phone, initially calling them from a local number.
If contact is still unsuccessful a home visit may take place.
People who have tested positive will be given advice on how they can isolate, the importance of doing so and where they can access support.
Positive cases will also be asked to share details of others they may have been in close contact with.
In a joint statement Rachel SpencerHenshall, director of public health at Kirklees Council and Anna Hartley, director of public health at Wakefield Council said the roll-out represented ‘a concentrated effort’ by both councils to drive down infections with ‘welcome support’ from Public Health England.
They added: “While there has and continues to be sustained efforts across both local authorities to help our communities protect themselves and others, both Kirklees and Wakefield still have above average infection rates.
“This new service will further support the work we are doing to tackle infection rates on a local level.”
They have urged residents in both areas to continue with ‘very important’ basic measures such as social distancing from those outside your household, wearing a face covering, washing your hands regularly and isolating and testing when you have symptoms.
Observing those simple actions make a difference in the fight against the coronavirus and together help to contain and prevent further spread of Covid-19, significantly reduce people’s chances of being infected or infecting someone else and ultimately help to bring infection rates back down.
Cllr Pandor said setting up a localised system was the right thing to do and would make an impact in combating infections at a local level.
He added: “It’s crucial we make contact with those who have tested positive to ensure they fully understand what isolation is, why it’s so important and the key part they play in our collective effort in halting further spread of infection.”
■■If anyone has any concerns about the call or identity of a contact tracer, verification can be gained by calling the Contact Tracing Team on 01924 482119. Anyone who is contacted will never be asked for money or bank details for any reason.