Western Morning News (Saturday)
Covid tests for people who must go to work
PEOPLE across Cornwall who cannot work from home will receive twice-weekly asymptomatic testing from next week.
Launching on Monday and co-ordinated by Cornwall Council, the Community Testing Programme is aimed at groups such as childcare staff, cleaners, construction workers, delivery drivers, factory workers, taxi drivers and retail assistants.
It also includes frontline council staff and firefighters, as well as voluntary sector workers and people who are self-employed.
The programme is an extension of existing workplace testing schemes available to NHS and frontline workers.
It uses rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) and ensures businesses can continue to operate as efficiently as possible while protecting their staff and the wider community.
Those who test positive will be asked to self-isolate immediately to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Around one in three people who test positive have no symptoms, meaning they go about their everyday lives oblivious to the fact they are spreading the virus.
The LFT results are provided in just 30 minutes and are being made available to employers in two ways:
■ Tests are carried out on the business premises twice a week, overseen by a nominated and trained member of staff
■ Employees of the business can access one of three drive-through testing sites in Camborne (Dolcoath Avenue), St Austell (Penwinnick Road) or Liskeard (Luxstowe House) twice a week, during working hours. Sites are open seven days a week from 9.30am to 4.30pm.
More than 200 businesses responded to a survey from the council aimed at gauging their interest in the programme.
Organisations with more than 50 employees are requested to apply to the national workplace testing scheme.
Councillor Sally Hawken, Cornwall Council cabinet member for children, wellbeing and public health, said: “Allowing businesses to test their staff in this way is vital to stop the spread of the virus, keep our communities safe and ultimately save lives.”
She said it will also stop the virus spreading through workforces, preventing businesses from having to close.
CORNWALL Council has issued a warning to people thinking of coming down on holiday before the lockdown rules change.
It said that although the “stay at home” legal order was being replaced by a “minimise travel” instruction on March 29, holidays were still banned, and it would seek to take enforcement action where there were breaches.
In Thursday’s weekly public briefing, the Cornwall councillor in charge of public protection said they did not regard travelling to a second home as essential travel between March 29 and at least April 12.
Domestic stays in self-contained accommodation and second homes are permitted under step one of the Government’s new coronavirus roadmap, which will come into effect no earlier than April 12.
However, that date is subject to change, with the Government set to confirm or change the date it will take place by April 5, a week before the implementation is anticipated to happen.
Cllr Rob Nolan, portfolio holder for environment and public protection at Cornwall Council, said that while clarification was needed on the new “minimise travel” guidance, the council’s interpretation was that it was for essential travel only. He said: “The stay-at-home rule ends on March 29, but it does talk of people continuing to work from home and minimising journeys. While we’re waiting for clarification, we understand it will be for essential travel, so we don’t regard people coming down to a second home as essential travel.
“Travel was a police matter the last time and I expect it to be again, and any holiday accommodation open in that period, whether it’s self-catering will be for us to investigate, and we will investigate as they’re not allowed to be open until April 12.”
In the meeting, Cornwall Council leader Julian German said that while they were optimistic about the Government’s roadmap, the dates were not concrete and could change as evidence changed. He said: “While Cornwall is seeing a fall in cases, for which we thank the public for their part, it’s still vitally important that we follow the rules. It’s too early to relax and let our guard down.
“The months ahead are much like driving from Land’s End to John O’Groats. Along the way, there might be diversions and there might be times we find ourselves going back on the road we’ve been on.”
Cornwall’s director for public health, Rachel Wigglesworth, said each step of the lockdown would only be implemented if the data suggested it was possible. She added: “At each stage, they will examine the data to assess the impact of releasing the rules. It’s not absolute or set in stone. There will be four tests.
“One of these is vaccine rollout and how that progresses, as well as evidence that the vaccine rollout is effective in reducing hospitalisations and death; another is infection rates at the time and making sure they don’t overwhelm hospitals, and the final one is an assessment of the risk in any new variants that might appear and the impact they may have.
“At the moment, there’s still no household meeting indoors and one person can meet with another outdoors. The next stage will see the rule of six being permitted outdoors, but still with minimal travel and no holidays.”