Lockdown ‘the last thing we would do’
A LOCKDOWN in Stanley would be the “last thing we would do”, a health boss has reassured locals after they “stepped up” during the Covid-19 outbreak.
A total of 15 cases were linked to the Stanley Empire Club – and now it has been confirmed that one man had been admitted to hospital.
The director of public health for County Durham Amanda Healy said a lockdown for the town of Stanley is not on the cards at the moment but urged people to continue following Covid-19 restrictions.
Council staff along with Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace have worked to contact as many people as possible who visited the club on August 9, 10 and 11 to advise them to self-isolate.
In a bid to increase access to coronavirus testing, Durham County Council has set up a mobile testing unit in Stanley available for two weeks.
The director of public health stressed that the outbreak is relatively small.
She said: “A local lockdown would be the last thing we would do.
“The premises at Stanley Empire closed voluntarily which is really good and shows that both the public and local businesses are being responsible.
“We are looking into the small outbreak in Stanley, we know that the North East is affected by inequalities but we are still investigating.
“It’s still a relatively small outbreak compared to some other parts of the UK.”
More than three-quarters of people who attended the Stanley Empire club were contacted and are now self-isolating. In the majority of instances, they had seen the information the agencies had released and acted straight away to self-isolate to reduce the risk of them spreading the virus, and to be tested if they have symptoms.
Mrs Healy said: “We’ve had people self-isolating before they have even been contacted after seeing reports in the media.
“We would like to say a big thank you to the public for their efforts to help stop the spread of the virus.”
She is encouraging anyone who visited the club to self-isolate and thanked the public for their cooperation.
She said: “The information can be confusing but we are asking anyone who has been in Stanley Empire to self-isolate.
“We fully appreciate that talk of 15 cases linked to the club may worry people but I would stress that these are existing cases we have found through our enquiries and not new unrelated cases.
“We are pleased Test and Trace has been able to reach such a high proportion of people through our
enquiries but we want to reach all of them and will continue with our enquiries.
“Our message to anyone who visited the club on 9,10 and 11 August remains to self-isolate for 14 days from the date of their visit, and to take a test if they have coronavirus symptoms.”
Mrs Healy added: “It can be very difficult as a small business.
“We are looking into what support small businesses, in particular, can get.
“We are extremely grateful for their support and their efforts in helping stop the spread.”
The mobile testing unit will be at the car park at the rear of the Empire Club for 14 days from 10.30am to 3.30pm daily.
Testing will be available for anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus which include a high temperature, a new continuous cough, and a loss or change to your sense of taste or smell.
People are advised to book tests in advance online or by phoning 119.
Coun Lucy Hovvels, the council’s cabinet member for adult and health services and chair of the county’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said the people of Stanley have “stepped up” to the challenge.
She said: “The people of Stanley have really stepped up, the response has been really good.
“The main message is about making sure people are keeping safe and have got the information they need.
“There are leaflets with information on them to really get the message out there.
“For those that attended the club on the 9, 10, 11, we need to make sure they self isolate for 14 days and if they have symptoms they are getting tested.
“If you haven’t visited the club and are not showing any symptoms try and get on with your routine.
“Coronavirus could hit any of us, but by working together to stay safe we can limit its impact.”