Covid-19: Portsmouth local tracing service launched
- Published
It is thought local knowledge and council-held information will prove key to contacting people in Portsmouth
A contact tracing system in which council staff use local knowledge to track people NHS Test and Trace cannot find has been launched in Portsmouth.
The localised service is a collaboration between the city council and Public Health England.
Under the national system attempts to contact residents are scrapped if they cannot be found after 24 hours.
At this point cases will be handed to the Portsmouth contact tracing team to progress for a further 72 hours.
'Make important difference'
It is thought local knowledge and council-held information will prove key to contacting people.
Matthew Winnington, Portsmouth City Council's health boss, said: "Where the incorrect contact numbers are recorded, or where people are unhappy responding to unfamiliar phone numbers, we feel our service can make an important difference by using accurate locally held contact information, a local Portsmouth dial code and, importantly, those making the calls will be local people who know the city."
Figures for the week up to 29 October for Portsmouth revealed there were 434 new cases of Covid-19 - a rate of 201.9 per 100,000 people - compared to 387 cases the previous week - a rate of 180.1 per 100,000.
The service will operate from Monday to Friday, 09:00 to 17:00.
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