Outbreak Control Plan to manage Covid-19 in North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire County Council has outlined its Covid-19 Outbreak Control Plan – the approach to managing the next stage of the pandemic in North Yorkshire.
Led by North Yorkshire’s Director of Public Health Dr Lincoln Sargeant, public health experts will work with the public, businesses, the NHS, Public Health England, local government partners and the community and voluntary sector.
Together they will work to support individuals, communities, businesses, education and care homes settings to understand how to prevent outbreaks via good hygiene and social distancing measures. Equally, it sets out how the county will respond when outbreaks occur and the measures necessary to control them.
Richard Flinton, Chief Executive of North Yorkshire County Council, said yesterday (July 15): “We need to be very clear on the fact that outbreaks will very likely continue to happen for many months to come. We need to shut these down effectively when they do to minimise the opportunity for the virus to infect more people.
“To do this, we need your help. So, if you have symptoms, please book a test and isolate. Only leave home to get the test – you can do this at one of the mobile test units across the county or book a test online and there’s more information here.
“By doing this, you are continuing to play your part in protecting your family and friends from a virus which has taken the lives of more than 500 people in our county and many tens of thousands of people nationally. The infection rate here is declining, thank goodness, but at any point it could rise again if we are not extremely careful.”
‘Encouraging’
Dr Sargeant said: “At the moment, there is an average of two new cases of COVID-19 identified per day across the county. It is encouraging that case numbers are currently so low, and this is thanks to all the hard work everyone has put in to make sure that individuals, communities, and workplaces are kept safe.
In order to keep COVID under control, we need to keep going with the measures that have been so important over the last few months, including frequent handwashing, and social distancing with people outside your household or bubble.
