New service launches to further stem the spread of Covid-19 in Norfolk
It's being rolled out across the county
A new seven-day-a-week service being rolled out from this week will expand support to help more Norfolk residents affected by Covid-19 to isolate.
Previously only those who had tested positive for the virus would be contacted by teams from local councils with offers of support. This new service will expand welfare checks and support to include those people who have been asked to isolate by NHS Test and Trace because they are contacts of positive Covid cases.
Led by Norfolk's Public Health and run in partnership with the county's seven city, district, borough councils, the service aims to further bolster efforts to control the virus by making sure people have support in place so they can stay at home and isolate safely.
The new service builds upon a number of other initiatives already being run by Norfolk's Public Health including comprehensive support packages for those who have tested positive for Covid-19, new targeted rapid testing in communities, and local contact tracing support for NHS Test and Trace.
Dr Louise Smith, Director of Norfolk's Public Health, said:
"We have for some time now been supporting those people who have tested positive for Covid-19 to isolate but we are now taking this one step further by offering co-ordinated and joined-up support to contacts of positive cases as well.
"This is yet another tool in our armoury to fight this disease. Controlling the spread by minimising every opportunity the virus has to transmit is key. We'll be working closely with our local council colleagues to roll this new service out to every area of the county as soon as possible."
A pilot to test the new service was run in Great Yarmouth recently. The first district to roll out the service was the Borough Council of King's Lynn & West Norfolk on 8 January 2021.
Cllr Stuart Dark, MBE, Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk Cabinet Member for Environmental Services and Public Protection, said:
"It is vitally important that people self-isolate and stay at home when told to do so by NHS Test and Trace as this helps stop the virus spreading to other people. We understand that people may find this difficult for lots of reasons and that's why we're making these calls. We will check you are able to get hold of food and medicine, and help set up support for you if you can't, we can also point you in the direction of other support including financial assistance if needed."
The service in the King's Lynn and West Norfolk area runs seven days a week. Anyone identified by NHS Test and Trace as a contact will either receive a phone call or be visited by the new service with a wellbeing check and an offer of practical support, including access and signposting to hardship funds, food and help to get prescriptions and shopping. Teams will also be checking that those identified as being a contact of a positive Covid case know how to access testing if they develop symptoms and understand the current lockdown rules.
Chief Executive of the Borough Council of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Lorraine Gore, added:
"We are redeploying some of our staff onto this service, as we believe it is a crucial tool to help stop the spread of the virus. We have received very positive feedback from those we have contacted so far and want to thank everyone who is doing the right thing and self-isolating in accordance with the guidance when they have been advised to do so."
Isolation is when you do not leave your home because you have or might have Covid-19.
It means:
do not go to work, school or public places - work from home if you can
do not go on public transport or use taxis
do not go out to get food and medicine - order it online or by phone, or ask someone to bring it to your home
do not have visitors in your home, including friends and family - except for people providing essential care
do not go out to exercise - exercise at home or in your garden, if you have one
If you have symptoms or have tested positive for coronavirus, you'll usually need to isolate for at least 10 days.
You'll usually need to isolate for 10 days if:
you've been told to isolate by NHS Test and Trace
someone you live with has symptoms or tests positive
someone in your support bubble has symptoms or tested positive
Those who need support should contact Norfolk County Council on 0344 800 8020.
What is Covid-19?
Covid-19 emerged as a virus in December 2019 as the first cases are reported in Wuhan, China. Scientifically known as SARS-CoV-2, the virus created a global pandemic as it began to spread around the world. Symptoms can range from very mild to severe, causing death in some cases. Some people are completely asymptomatic and do not realise they even have the virus.
Has there been a virus like this before?
The SARS pandemic in 2003 was similar to Covid-19 in that it was also caused by a coronavirus. SARS stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The global outbreak of SARS lasted from 2002-2003, infecting over 8,000 people and killing 774. Covid-19 and SARS are both respiratory illnesses, but SARS was much more deadly and less infectious.
What are the main symptoms?
The NHS say the main Covid-19 symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough and loss or change to taste of sense or smell. NHS advises people with Covid-19 to take plenty of rest, drink lots of fluids, and take paracetamol for a high temperature.
What was the Government reaction?
The UK Government announced the first of several lockdowns in March 2020. By the end of the month, more than 100 countries around the world introduce full or partial lockdowns, preventing people from going to work, restricting everyday tasks and affecting the livelihoods of billions of people globally.
Which countries have been worst hit?
During the first year of the pandemic, the US recorded the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the world and the most deaths, reporting an unprecedented 100,000 new cases in one day on November 4th 2020. Thousands of new cases were recorded on the same date in India (46,000+), the United Kingdom (22,000+), Brazil (17,000+) and Mexico (5,000+), while Ireland records less than 1,000 (578). Hundreds of other countries also reported a high rate of infection.
How have vaccines fought against Covid-19?
Vaccines began being approved for use across the globe. By January 2021, the UK approved the use of three different vaccines. The Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine, Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and the Moderna vaccine are rolled out to the public, with older people and those with greater health concerns getting priority. In April 2022, just under 53 million people had received at least one dose of the vaccine.
What are new Covid variants?
Four new variants of Covid-19 were discovered around the world. Beta was found in South Africa, Gamma in Brazil and Delta in India, while the Alpha variant was first located in Kent, UK. New variants are not likely to make someone more seriously ill than Covid-19 would, but variants like Delta have a higher infection rate, meaning it can be more easily spread.
The Omicron variant was first detected late 2021 in South Africa. Since then, it has become one of the most dominant variants in the world, with its own sub strains - BA.4 and BA.5.