COVID-19 in Lewisham update 13 November
Yesterday, we saw an increase in the number of people testing positive for coronavirus across the country – the highest daily number recorded in the UK. It’s not clear what led to this sudden increase but it is a reminder just how dependent we are on testing for up to the minute data on the infection rate.
Last week, I cautiously shared the news that the number of people testing positive for coronavirus in Lewisham has been lower compared to the London average and reassuringly this trend seems to be continuing. Of course, this data is wholly based on information of those people taking a test, so I would like to continue to encourage you to get a test if you have any of the three main symptoms of COVID-19 (fever, continuous cough and loss/change in your sense of taste or smell). To improve access to testing for people with symptoms, we will also soon be able to allocate booking slots locally and I will provide a further update on this in coming weeks.
Rapid testing for Lewisham
I welcome this week’s news that Lewisham will be one of several councils across London to roll out new rapid tests which will allow many more people in Lewisham to get tested. Also known as lateral flow tests, they can be processed on site, meaning a test result can be returned very quickly on the same day.
The Government has announced that, in time, Lewisham will have lateral flow testing capacity to reach up to 10% of our population. We will be planning the roll out of these tests in the coming weeks and I will, of course, keep you updated.
Local contact tracing
The Council will be supporting NHS Test and Trace with a dedicated Lewisham-based team from next week. We will be working to reach confirmed cases of COVID-19 that have not been contacted by the national service and will be signposting to support and advice for residents who are being asked to self-isolate.
COVID-19 vaccination
It is good to hear that we are closer to having an effective and safe vaccination for coronavirus. It is likely that the first to receive the vaccine will be those who are most at risk from the virus.
It is understandable that people may have questions about the new vaccination. There is also lot of misinformation circulating already on vaccinations – and this is likely to increase – so I would really like to know what you’re concerned about. I have already started to talk about vaccinations with the COVID-19 Community Champions at our fortnightly webinars, so if you would like to join the discussion or ask any questions please sign up to become a Champion to help share accurate information about this and other important COVID-19 information.