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Twice weekly Covid-19 tests to continue as weekly routine in Northants

Author: Northamptonshire Local Resilience Forum

Published: 8th May 2021 09:14

Public Health officials reiterate the requirement for residents to take twice weekly COVID-19 tests as part of their weekly routine in order to continue to curb the spread of the virus across Northamptonshire.

This week’s surveillance report, an analysis of the county’s recent coronavirus cases and rates over the period 26 April – 02 May 2021, shows 195 residents have tested positive. That’s a decrease of 14% since last week and 52% lower than the week beginning 29th March 2021.  

Weekly case numbers fell rapidly during February and have been on a slow declining trend since the end of March. In the last week, all district and borough areas have seen a decreasing or plateauing trend in case rates. However, case rates have started to rise in Daventry, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough in recent days.

Out of the ten-year age bands, secondary school age children (10 to 19-year olds) continue to have the highest case numbers and working age adults (30 to 39-year olds) are again a close second.  

Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Northampton and Wellingborough currently have weekly total rates above the England average of 23.0. Rates are significantly higher in Wellingborough at 52.7 per 100,000 population – the highest in the county, and Corby at 40.2, which has improved over the last few weeks but there is clearly further progress needed to lower cases toward the national average.  

Due to the impact of the COVID-19 vaccination in the elderly and most vulnerable people, and the positive impact lockdown has had on community transmission, the number of deaths continues to reduce to levels similar to that seen at the start of the pandemic and end of the first wave.  

The number of patients in hospital due to COVID-19 has been on a decreasing trend since mid-January, although the rate of decline has recently slowed. The latest data shows a total of 7 COVID-19 patients occupied hospital beds in Northamptonshire on 4th May 2021.

Everyone in Northamptonshire, and across England, without symptoms is now able to access free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing. The Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs) are available for home use or at test centres, workplaces and schools. Results take as little as 30 minutes. Now, and in the coming months, residents who have symptoms and those who are not showing any symptoms at all are being urged to get tested twice weekly.

There are a variety of ways in which you can access LFT testing: Community-based Asymptomatic Testing sites at sites have been set up across the county: https://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-updates/covid-19-testing/Pages/community-based-testing-centres.aspx.  You can also access tests through the Community Collect service, where you can pick up packs for home use.  You can find your nearest by visiting: https://www.gov.uk/find-covid-19-lateral-flow-test-site, or if you can’t get to an asymptomatic testing site or easily access Community Collect, you can order test kits for home delivery at: https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.

Residents are also being reminded to continue to stay 2m apart whilst meeting up to six people or two households outdoors, until there is a government review. Public Health officials are reminding parents of school aged children in particular to ensure a safe distance with other households outside and strictly no sleepovers.

Lucy Wightman Joint Director of Public Health - North and West Northamptonshire Councils says:   

“Twice weekly testing will be a part of normal life for the foreseeable future in Northamptonshire and across the nation – let’s just get on with it and make it part of our weekly routine. Everyone in England can now get free regular rapid lateral flow tests for themselves and their families without having symptoms. As we proceed forwards through each step of the ‘roadmap’ it’s one of the tools in our armoury to give us the confidence to venture out and mix safely. It works by helping identify cases quickly so people can isolate and stop further spread.

“If you are somebody who attends secondary school, goes out to work, is responsible for a child who attends secondary or primary school, is visiting a care home, is planning on being in the company of those who might be vulnerable to the virus  or simply somebody who wants to make sure they are doing everything they can to stop the spread as they go about their daily business - there's no excuse not to help yourself and those around you lower the risk by doing a test twice weekly. It’s the only way to really know if you are infectious. It takes thirty minutes for a result and the more you do it, the easier it gets.   

“You can get the tests from your local test site, pharmacies or order them on gov.uk for a home delivery. If positive, the test means you are infectious and must start self-isolating at home immediately and complete 10 days of self-isolation.  If you get a positive result, it is vital that you immediately book a PCR test to confirm the result and self-isolate in the meantime. It is also critical that you register your results regardless of the outcome. That way we can effectively monitor the spread of the virus across the county. Put your mind at rest and get a regular test!”

• Public Health officials are reminding parents of school aged children to ensure a safe distance with other households outside and strictly no sleepovers! Evidence shows that it is safer for people to meet outdoors rather than indoors. Outdoor gatherings (including in private gardens) of either six people (the rule of six) or two households are currently allowed. Those who are already in a support bubble will count as one household. However, people from different households will still need to socially distance from each other - keeping two metres apart. This may be hard for youngsters to understand, particularly if they are in the same bubble at school, however this is because a school operates within strict guidelines as a COVID-19 secure setting, unlike a park or a garden which aren’t set up to be COVID-19 secure. Contract tracing data shows that sleepovers between friends can play a big part in rising cases in youngsters. Please follow the rules by not having sleepovers and protect your children and their friends, as well as yourselves, from COVID-19.
• Residents are being reminded to respect the staff and funeral organisers who have your safety at the forefront of all current and future COVID-19 guidance. New guidance for managing funerals will be published next week which will allow for higher numbers to attend a service. However, due to social distancing guidelines all attendees are still advised to remain 2m away from anyone they do not live with (unless they have formed a support bubble).When organising a funeral service, it is really important to remember that for indoor venues in Northamptonshire, and across the nation, we are still only legally permitted to host as many people as can safely be accommodated within social distancing regulations. This is for your safety and the safety of all attendees.
• Northamptonshire’s residents are also being strongly urged get vaccinated when the call comes for both the first and second dose to ensure that the county progresses through the remaining two steps outlined in the Government’s ‘Roadmap out of lockdown.’ However, once you are jabbed you must remain vigilant. Recent research may have revealed that the Pfizer and the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccines can reduce the risk of you passing COVID-19 onto others but the risk still remains so it’s vital that you continue to act like you have the virus and be careful with those around you. Care home and domiciliary staff who haven’t yet received their first dose are now able to use the national NHS COVID-19 Vaccination Booking Service – by calling 119 or        visiting www.nhs.uk/covidvaccinatio to book an appointment. For pregnant women reading this: We encourage them to discuss the risks and benefits with their clinician. There have been no specific safety concerns identified with any brand of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccines in relation to pregnancy. However, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises that it’s preferable for pregnant women in the UK to be offered the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines where available. There is no evidence to suggest that other vaccines are unsafe for pregnant women, but more research is needed and, in the meantime, these two are preferable.

The community-based testing sites, as well as being a collection point for test kit orders, are listed below.  

• Sessions House, County Hall, Northampton (variable opening days – please check council website)
• Lodge Park Sports Centre, Corby (Hazelwood Neighbourhood Centre open for collection of test kits only)
• Brackley Leisure Centre, South Northamptonshire
• Daventry Leisure Centre, Daventry
• North Pavilion Drive, Kettering  
• Hall Park, Rushden  

The test is called a Lateral Flow Test and involves a swab of the mouth and nose and provides a result within 30 minutes. The University of Northampton site is now restricted to students and university staff.  

• If you are not showing symptoms but must work with others, get the rapid test to find out if you are infectious and isolate if positive. It is vital however to understand that the test only tells you whether you are at peak infectiousness at the time of the test, it does not tell you that you are COVID-free. Levels of infectiousness change from the point of contracting the virus to the point you recover from it, which can take up to 14 days, during which time you may not have experienced any symptoms. It is therefore vital that you exercise all COVID-secure measures even if you get a negative result. You must continue to follow COVID guidelines and remember to wash your hands, wear a face covering indoors and maintain 2m distance from others.  
• If you have COVID-19 symptoms, remember to get tested as soon as possible to find out if you are positive. If you have a high temperature, continuous cough or loss of or change in sense of smell or taste, you should immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test. Tests can be booked on the Test and Trace app, online at nhs.uk/coronavirus, or by calling 119.  
• If you have either type of COVID-19 test and it is positive, you must self-isolate for ten days – with your household also isolating for 10 days from when the positive person’s symptoms started, or test result was positive if they have no symptoms. Do not go to your workplace, to school or to the shops. Either work from home or report sick. Those who test positive for COVID-19 will be helped by the NHS test and trace service to identify the people they’ve recently been in contact with so they can be alerted and also self-isolate if required.  
• Tests can be booked on the Test and Trace app, online at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. Home testing kits can also be ordered subject to availability.  

 

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