A new local system for tracking down contacts of people who have coronavirus has been introduced in Wirral.
Wirral Council has launched the new model, which it says will track down those contacts who have not been reached by the national test and trace system.
The council believes that local knowledge will help to trace those who have either not provided details to NHS Test and Trace service or have given incorrect details.
Once contacted, people will be advised to self-isolate, talked through how to access local support and asked about details of their close contacts so that these can be followed up by the national team.
It is hoped that such knowledge can be gathered and used to act quickly if an outbreak at a business or large gathering occurs.
Under the new system, cases get passed to the local team if the national service cannot reach them within 48 hours of a positive test.
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Wirral’s contact tracing system is a partnership between the council’s public health team and Birkenhead -based business The Contact Company.
The business employs almost 2,000 people in Wirral and specialises in contact centre work.
Cllr Janette Williamson, leader of Wirral Council said: “We are determined to do all we can to stop the spread of Covid-19 in Wirral. We know that an effective test and trace system really makes a difference in limiting the spread of the disease.
“The Contact Company is undertaking this work free of charge for us because like me they want to see our numbers fall and the pressure on our NHS ease.”
The service will run seven days a week with calls coming from the council using a local 0151 phone number.
The launch of the service came with a stark warning from the council. Its statement said that people who either do not know they have Covid-19, or who do know but conceal it for financial reasons, present a risk of uncontrolled transmission in the general community, workplaces and other vulnerable settings.
But reaching such people offers a means to prevent new clusters and outbreaks, and control existing ones.
With more people being contacted the risk of spreading the virus is reduced and more intelligence is gathered on where the person may have been in the days prior to a positive test.
Asif Hamid MBE, chief executive of The Contact Company, said: “As one of the largest employers in the area, The Contact Company has a real sense of duty to protect not only our colleagues in the current climate, but the wider community too.
“In providing the complimentary services of our highly skilled colleagues to assist Wirral Council’s contact tracing, we continue to do all we can to protect the fantastic local community in which we all live and work.”
People in the borough who have been advised by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate will be entitled to a £500 support payment if they meet the eligibility criteria. More information is available here.
Julie Webster, Wirral’s director of public health, said: “Our local contact tracing system provides another layer of support to help control Covid-19 in Wirral. If you are contacted, it will be a locally based person on the other end of the phone.
“They will talk to you about what you need to do to protect your friends and family whilst isolating, and about what support is available nearby. The overall aim is simple – to limit the transmission of Covid-19.
“By isolating when you have symptoms, getting a test, and picking up the phone when we call, we will give ourselves an even better chance to Keep Wirral Well.”
