Minister says testing and tracing will play central role in lifting the lockdown

Q Radio News

The Stormont health minister has said testing and contact tracing will play a central role in unlocking coronavirus restrictions here.

Robin Swann is urging everyone who develops Covid-19 symptoms to book a test without delay.

The minister has spelt out the scale of the Northern Ireland contact tracing programme, saying it is being built for the long-term. 

“The programme launched by the Public Health Agency was extended in recent weeks to cover all new cases of infection. The full service is now operational,” Mr Swann stated.

“My department has also now published its Test, Trace and Protect strategy, setting out our approach in detail. This is a major long-term programme, given the continuing threat from Covid-19 and the potential for local clusters and outbreaks of infection as we move out of the current phase of our response.

“We will be scaling up the current contact tracing provision to include teams recruited directly to staff the operation. This will include professionals such as nurses and environmental health officers for contact tracing with lead clinicians and health protection consultants advising on complex situations and local clusters or outbreaks. The work will be supported through the deployment of trained volunteers when required.

“There will also be a call centre element to this service which will be able to provide general information to symptomatic individuals and their contacts on a range of Covid-19 issues.

“Digital tools will also be developed to complement the telephone based contact tracing. Options are under active consideration.

“Test, Trace and Protect will help release the lockdown, keep people safe and protect our health service. Everyone has to play their part. That means getting tested early when we have symptoms, helping contact tracing by providing details of contacts, and self-isolating when advised in order to protect others.”
 

Coronavirus drive-through testing.

Anyone with a new, continuous cough, a high temperature or a change in their sense of smell or taste is asked to immediately report these symptoms and book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus

Everyone over the age of five years with symptoms of COVID-19 is now eligible for testing. Testing can be booked directly on the above web address or by ringing 119. People with symptoms can be tested at one of the four drive through test centres in Belfast, Derry/Londonderry, Craigavon or Enniskillen, or via a postal self-test kit which will be dispatched to their home.

If you test positive, you must continue to self-isolate for seven days from the onset of symptoms. You can complete your isolation at the end of seven days if your condition has improved and you have not had a temperature for 48 hours.  If your test is negative, you and other household members no longer need to isolate.

Anyone who tests positive for coronavirus will be contacted by the Contact Tracing Service in the Public Health Agency, and will need to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact, or been within two metres for more than 15 minutes.

People identified as having been in close contact with someone who has had a positive test must stay at home for 14 days, even if they do not have symptoms, to stop unknowingly spreading the virus.  This is because people without any symptoms can spread the infection.

Officials say all information discussed with the Contact Tracing Service will be handled with appropriate privacy and confidentiality safeguards. The telephone number used by the service currently comes up as a ‘withheld number’, so if you do have symptoms and are being tested, expect a call from the Contact Tracing Service.

The PHA Contact Tracing Service will signpost to support services for people who need to self-isolate.