COVID-19 Weekly Surveillance Report

• National lockdown restrictions continue in place until Monday 29th March • A total of 749 Northamptonshire residents have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week • Mixing between households continues to be the greatest cause of transmission locally • This week marks a year since the first reported case of COVID-19 in Northamptonshire

Data up to 28 February 2021 COVID-19: One Year On

• On 5th March 2020 Public Health Northamptonshire received notice of the first case of the ‘coronavirus’ in the county. • A total of 45,289 positive cases have been identified in Northamptonshire to date. • One year on there are 1,335 families who have experienced the grief of a lost loved one - taken by the virus. • By staying at home during the three periods of national lockdown residents have protected the NHS and saved lives. • We now thankfully have a vaccine but people remain at risk and we must continue to follow the guidance and adhere to the rules.

2 Four Step Roadmap: Four Tests along the Way

From Monday 8th March some specific restrictions will Step 1 Step 1 Step 2 Step 3 Step 4 8-29 Changes Not before Not before 17 May Not before start to lift as children return to schools and colleges, March on 29 March 12 April *Review of social 21 June care home residents will be allowed one regular visitor distancing and you will be permitted to meet with one other Children back to Rule of 6 or 2 Opening of non- Most legal restrictions on Government hopes to be in a person for outdoor recreation/activity. School/College households meet essential retail meeting others outdoors position to remove all legal outdoors will be lifted, although limits on social contact gatherings of over 30 people will remain illegal. Only when the government is sure that it is safe to Indoors, the ‘Rule of 6’ or move from one step to the next will the final 2 households will apply decision be made. The decision will be based on four tests: Outdoor Outdoor activity Funerals up to 30 Most businesses in all Government hopes to reopen • The vaccine deployment programme continues recreation/exerc facilities open and mourners. but the highest risk remaining premises, including successfully ise with one formally organised Weddings, receptions sectors will be able to nightclubs, and ease the person outside outdoor sports and commemorative reopen restrictions on large events • Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective your household events 15 and performances that apply in in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those Step 3 vaccinated • Infection rates do not risk a surge in Care home End of ‘stay at Hospitality venues Up to 30 people will be hospitalisations which would put unsustainable residents – one home’ rule but serve people able to attend weddings, pressure on the NHS regular visitor work from home if outdoors receptions and wakes, as • Assessment of the risks is not fundamentally can and no well as funerals holidays changed by new Variants of Concern

3 Step 1: Monday March 8th 2021

4 Keep Following the Rules and Guidance

• Despite specific easing of measures from Monday, residents of Northamptonshire and across must continue to ‘Stay at Home, Protect the NHS and Save Lives’ until March 29th. You may only leave the house for limited reasons permitted in law, such as to shop for essentials, to work, if you absolutely cannot work from home, to exercise once a day, to seek medical assistance, or to escape domestic abuse. • If we all continue to play our part, and only if, will we be that bit closer to a future that is more familiar. As we move through each of the government’s four step programme, we must all remember that COVID-19 remains a risk. We are going to have to keep living our lives differently to keep ourselves and others safe. We must carry on with ‘hands, face, space’, comply with the COVID-secure measures that remain in place, meet outdoors when we finally can and keep letting fresh air in, get tested when needed and get vaccinated when offered. • Abide by the rules or we will act. Gatherings in private dwellings; undertaking non-essential journeys; a failure to wear face coverings and failure to self-isolate when required to do so will result in the use of proportionate enforcement powers aimed at protecting public health which will include the serving of Fixed Penalty Notices. The Joint Enforcement Team ; Public Health Northamptonshire, Environmental Health Departments within District and Borough Councils, Northamptonshire County Council and Northants Police will continue to use enforcement powers where there is non- compliance in relation to COVID-19 Regulations.

5 Rapid COVID-19 Testing • Four COVID-19 Rapid Testing Centres are open in Northamptonshire for key workers who are not showing symptoms of COVID-19. Further sites across the county will open over the coming weeks. • The community based testing sites are at: • Danes Camp Leisure Centre, • Lodge Park Sports Centre, • Leisure Centre, • The University of Northampton, Northampton - restricted to use by students and university staff only from Monday 8th March • The test is called a Lateral Flow Test and involves a swab of the mouth and nose and provides a result within 30 minutes. • The aim of testing people who do not have COVID-19 symptoms is to identify those who may be infectious without being aware in order to reduce spread of the virus. If positive, the test means you are infectious and must start self-isolating at home immediately and complete 10 days of self-isolation. • The test does not tell you if you are COVID-free so all COVID-secure measures must be exercised even if you get a negative result. You must continue to follow COVID guidelines and remember to wash your hands, wear a face covering indoors and maintain a 2m distance from others. • Testing slots must be booked online in advance and priority is given to workers in the following sectors: Health or social care, transportation, education or childcare (if not receiving regular rapid tests via the workplace), essential shops, supermarkets or financial services, food production or processing, warehousing, packing or distribution, essential public sector services including waste, bin collections, security, construction, utilities or communications and agency workers. It is advisable for those people working in these sectors to take up the opportunity to get tested on a weekly basis to help to reduce the spread of the virus. • Information leaflets at the sites are available in English, Lithuanian and Romanian, Russian and Polish.

6 Got Symptoms? Get Tested

• To find out more information about local testing sites visit: Northamptonshire COVID-19 Testing Update.

• Tests can be booked online at NHS COVID-19 or by calling 119. Home testing kits can also be ordered subject to availability.

• It is vital that when you leave the house to be tested you must go straight to the testing centre and return home immediately to self- isolate until you get your results.

7 Total and Weekly Summary A total of 45,289 positive cases have been identified in Northamptonshire to date. Of this number, 749 were identified in the last week, 22nd to 28th February 2021.

This graph shows the total number of people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Northamptonshire each week since 7th December 2020. Weekly case numbers increased significantly during the course of December and into early January, however, cases have declined steadily over the last few weeks and the latest weekly case total is 69% lower than that seen in the week of 25th January 2021. The latest week’s figures are likely to increase further as da