Public health confident over Covid variant cases – but urge people to get tested
A public health director says she thinks an outbreak of an Indian Covid variant is under control – but that people must continue to get tested to ensure the situation does not get out of hand.
Liz Noakes, director of public health at Telford & Wrekin Council, was speaking after it was revealed that cases of an Indian Coronavirus variant had been identified in a small number of pupils at Burton Borough School in Newport.
Mrs Noakes said that the cases are of the '02' variant, rather than the more concerning '01' variant, but added that it is still around 60 per cent more transmissible.
She said the original cases were "a couple of weeks ago, over the bank holiday" and added "at the moment we feel we have got the outbreak under control".
Principal at Burton Borough, Krissi Carter, has also written to parents urging people to get tested to ensure the outbreak does not spread.
She has also asked those with symptoms or positive results to make sure they follow isolation rules.
She said: "Please get tested even if you, or any of your family members, have been vaccinated and even if you are not displaying any symptoms – as you could still have the virus and spread it without knowing."
"You and your family will not have to self-isolate prior to receiving the results of the PCR test, if you all have no symptoms."
She added: "A “drop and collect “service is also being considered, where students will be given PCR test kits by school for the families to use. I will be sending more information about this in the coming days.
"Our school continues to be open as normal and is a safe place. We have discussed the controls we have in place with Public Health England and Telford & Wrekin Council. Both have told us that they have confidence in the Covid secure measures the school has."
