03/29/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

PEMBROKESHIRE’S Covid-19 tracking and the contacting system is up and running but not at full capacity yet.

The council’s head of environment and civil contingencies Richard Brown said the Test, Track and Trace system was “not 100 percent”.

Mr. Brown told members of the social care overview and scrutiny committee that there were a number of people in post, many redeployed from other council services and had been trained ready to go.

Once someone reports with Covid-19 symptoms they will be tested – with home testing kits available – and ideally receive results in 24 hours and people they have been in contact within the last 48 traced and asked to self-isolate to “prevent further onward transmission”.

He added that it was currently used on the basis of confirmed cases which was a “bit of a shortcoming” but that is likely to be changed by the time travel restrictions are being proposed to ve lifted on July 6.

“It’s up and running, not as effective as it ought to be but we will overcome them in the next few weeks,” said Mr. Brown.

The committee heard that around six to 10 percent were currently presenting for testing and the numbers of people being traced will “increase significantly” once the system is fully functioning with the council working with neighbouring authorities and the health board.

The cases currently being dealt with were linked to “closed environments” such as hospital and care homes, or workplaces such as in north Wales, where Pembrokeshire council has been assisting with an outbreak associated with a meat factory.

Further details on any national app are also awaited.

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