All Staff Briefing – 9 FEBRUARY 2021 NEW COVID-19 VARIANT TESTING IN AREAS OF MANCHESTER Dear colleague, You may know that a new variant of COVID-19 known as E484K has been detected in small numbers in the following areas of Manchester: Hulme, Moss Side, Whalley Range and Fallowfield. From today, more than 10,000 Lateral Flow Tests will be distributed across these communities as well as additional mobile testing sites which will allow everyone over the age of 16 years who lives, works or studies in these areas to get a test as soon as possible. What this may mean for you: The testing is for the new variant and will be offered to all people 16 years and over, living or working in the specified boundary area (postcodes M14 4, M14 7, M15 5, M15 6, M16 7, M16 8) WHO DO NOT HAVE COVID SYMPTOMS and who are not self-isolating. This testing is to help understand the spread and prevalence of this new variant. People living in the community are being notified by letter if they should go for testing, which will run from the following test sites initially from 10am-5pm this week up to, and including, Sunday. The sites are • Our Lady’s RC Church, Raby Street, M16 7JQ • Guru Nanak Dev Ji Gurdwara Temple, 15 Monton Street, M14 4LS. (The church will not be available on Sunday for testing and the temple will be closed for prayer 12-1pm on Friday) • From Wednesday 10 February - Islamic Cultural Centre, 16 Bedwell Street, M16 7LN • From Thursday 11 February - Moss Side Leisure Centre, Moss Lane East, M15 5NN Please note this testing is for people who do NOT have COVID symptoms and ARE NOT self-isolating – so you can go to the sites without an appointment. GMMH staff who live and/or work in these areas can attend these testing sites without an appointment. If you are working with service users who are unable to leave the house, alternative arrangements will be made for people who are unable to get to a test centre and the council will be in touch with them – they do not need to ring their GP. Public Health England will add more local testing as the week progresses and volunteers will also begin knocking on people’s doors to offer alternative testing for anyone who cannot get out to a testing site. When will the results come through? Test results for the variants take longer for the lab to analyse and can take around 2 weeks. Normal COVID results come back within 24-48 hours. You do not need to isolate while you wait for them, unless you have symptoms or you are a close contact of a positive case. If you test positive for COVID and then the lab sequencing identifies the new variant (takes around 2 weeks), you will be contacted again at that point by the Manchester Test and Trace Contact Tracing Team. This is so that they can identify any links between cases. If you have already had the COVID-19 vaccine, then please still take a test. We know it can take a few weeks to build up immunity to the virus and this is an extra precaution to be on the safe side. It will also help us to understand if and how the virus has spread in the local community. If you have had a Lateral Flow Test with a positive result in the last 90 days, you can still take part in this testing. If you have had a PCR test which has come back positive in the last 90 days, you can also take part, so long as your isolation period is over. If you live or work in the test postcodes you can still go out to appointments. It is important that as NHS employees, we lead by example and continue to practice crucial measures to keep ourselves, those we care for and our colleagues safe. Please continue to do your usual Lateral Flow Testing even if you take part in this surge testing. This testing is extremely useful but Hands. Face. Space. remains our best form of defence, ensuring we wear the correct PPE at all times, maintain a 2 metre distance and practice good hand and respiratory hygiene, all of which has been proven to stop the spread of the virus and this will protect you. We understand this comes at a time when you are already working so hard in keeping our service users safe as well as helping to deliver the vaccine. If you are struggling, please speak to your line manager and remember that PAM Assist and resources on the intranet and website are available for you. At Gold Command we are looking at ways we can offer more support to you and service users who may be affected by this. News of this new variant may also cause anxiety amongst those we support in these communities, so we need to mindful they may need some extra help at this time. Please remind any members of the community that they may be eligible for £500 of financial support if they have a positive COVID-19 result, or if they have been asked to self-isolate by the NHS Test and Trace scheme. More details are here: https://secure.manchester.gov.uk/info/500362/covid- 19/8014/test_and_trace_support_payments. Please support them to attend testing centres or to get a home testing kit if they are unable to leave the house. We understand both you and they may feel anxious but please know that at this time: There is no evidence that the vaccines are less effective with the new variant. There is no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness. More information about – and a map of the areas covered by - this targeted testing approach is available at manchester.gov.uk/covidtesting. We know this remains a challenging time for everyone and we are so grateful for your continued support. Take care, Gill Green Director of Nursing and Governance .