Vigilance required with Covid-19 working guidelines

We are seeing a recent rise in Covid-19 cases – particularly in Mid and South Essex – and are asking for increased vigilance with compliance with Covid-19 working guidelines.

Covid working guidance on isolation and testing requirements has remained consistent for some time now and was confirmed after the issuing of the latest guidance by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) last month. This guidance followed the publication of the Government’s Living with Covid-19 plan.

Our figures from February drives home that Covid-19 has not gone away: the Trust saw four times as many referrals for Covid-19 in February compared with the previous year and positive cases were seven times higher than in the same period.

Acute hospitals are also seeing an increase in patients presenting at Emergency Departments – mainly as a secondary cause, but it shows that prevalence in the community is still high.

Breaches of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) have gone up, particularly around the wearing of masks, and as a result a number of Covid-19 stand-downs and outbreaks that could have been avoided. Just a reminder to you all our Covid Working Safely Guidance and Covid Secure measures have not changed.

We will keep you updated of any changes to the working guidance, but we are not expecting any in the immediate future.

Published 4th March 2022