A second person in Birmingham has tested positive for coronavirus, Birmingham City Council have confirmed today (11th March 2020).
Having recently returned from Italy, the retired individual is currently isolating at home with medical supervision. Any contacts that were potentially at risk of contracting the virus are currently being contacted by Public Health England (PHE).
Birmingham City Council is working closely with PHE and NHS colleagues to manage the situation and help reduce the risk of further cases.
Birmingham City Council’s Director of Public Health, Dr Justin Varney said: “Guidance has recently changed so that any person returning from an affected country that shows symptoms of COVID-19 should immediately self-isolate to prevent any possible spread.
“In this case we are taking full precautions and are working hard with partners in the NHS and PHE to manage the ongoing situation as well a plan for future steps.”
Dr Varney reassured that the risk to the general public remains low, saying: “We are doing everything possible to prevent the virus from spreading and ensure residents in Birmingham are protected.
“Following Government guidance to take basic hygiene precautions remains the best way of significantly reducing the chances of spreading any virus: sneeze or cough into a tissue, bin it, wash your hands frequently and don’t touch your face unless you’ve just washed your hands. We should do this regularly throughout the day.
“Good regular cleaning with normal detergent of surfaces people touch regularly or may cough onto, like door handles and lift buttons, is also sensible.”
The latest advice and information on coronavirus can be found on the government website and the NHS Coronavirus website
On he day this article confirmed Birmingham’s 2nd case,
(11th March) another 200 new cases were confirmed in the UK, bringing the total number to 798. The Government is still testing and tracking the virus in the community.
The first death was confirmed in Scotland, bringing the total deaths across the UK to 11.
The UK government swiftly reverses a controversial decision to withhold information about the geological spread of the coronavirus following a 70% increase,which is described as a “communications fumble”
Greece follows Iran and Italy closing all schools.
Two days after this article was published on b31 voices,on the 13th March and against World Health Organisation advice to test,test,test.the UK Government quietly gives up on testing,tracking and tracing the virus in the community,with only inpatients at hospitals requiring testing. People returning from holidays or trips abroad just being advised to self isolate if or when they started showing symptoms.
Although a few days before this article, it is reported in the Bromsgrove advertiser that after following government advice and guidelines a returning party of children and teachers from a school in Alvechurch didn’t self isolate on their return from Northern Italy trip (where by this time,there had been 17,660 cases and 1,266 deaths, up 250 from the day before.
As this article points out, by now the only change to their herd immunity plan is the UK Government is now advising self isolation,there is no advice to report symptoms or to contact anyone who they’ve been in close contact with…
Different story if your an MP though,as a day before this article was published,Health minister MP Nadine Dorries is diagnosed with the virus and hundreds of people are tracked down and tested,along with many MP’s and their family’s.
Parliament carries on as normal,and will do for another 15 days. despite knowing they’d been working in close contact with the virus’s path. With very few self isolating until they have symptoms,and even then only self isolating for 7 days and not the advised 14 days after symptoms have gone as per World Health Organisation advice and the latest clinical evidence.
It takes until 23rd of April,with only 18,000 tests a day (Germany were doing more than 50,000 a day since the 2nd April) before the truth about tracking and tracing and the probable reason for it stopping on the 13th March,when Matt Hancock admit’s the importance of tracking and tracing in keeping the figures down and announces his plan to employ 18,000 people to be able to carry out the restarting of tracking and tracing strategy.(long after the horse and bolted)
Why did the UK Government change the policy on testing and tracking on the 13th March?
Did the UK Government deem it too costly and unnecessary with their herd immunity strategy for 60-80% of the population eventually being infected anyway?
Why did it take the Government until the 23rd of April to reverse back to tracking & tracing?
Knowing how important tracking and tracing is in keeping the amount of deaths to a minimum,why has it taken until the 23rd of April to start employing the 18,000 needed to do the job?
How long will it take to employ,train and equip with correct PPE the 18,000 people?
Why is key scientific data and advice by the scientific advisory group for emergencies (SAGE) to government not being published and made public until after the pandemic?
Following the earlier “communications fumble” If the key scientific data and advice by (SAGE) had been published from the start,would the mistake in the figures predicting a lower death toll, also been spotted sooner?