Will Portsmouth go into Tier 2? Your coronavirus tier questions answered

RECENTLY The News took to Facebook to give you the chance to have your question about the government’s new three-tier lockdown system answered by Helen Atkinson, Portsmouth City Council’s director of public health.
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Helen has now answered your queries – and here are her responses in a simple Q&A format.

Question – asked by Dr Julie Udell: ‘Our [Portsmouth's] Covid-19 rates are already more than some other areas in Tier 2. Does anyone know why there is no discussion around us going into Tier 2? It would be useful to be prepared if it's likely.’

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Answer – Helen Atkinson: ‘The tier an area is in – medium, high or very high – is based on more than just infection rates. The Joint Biosecurity Centre looks at things such as how infection is spreading among different age groups, the number of outbreaks – which is where multiple cases are linked – and the government takes on board local information prior to making decisions.’

Helen Atkinson, director of public health at Portsmouth City CouncilHelen Atkinson, director of public health at Portsmouth City Council
Helen Atkinson, director of public health at Portsmouth City Council
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Question – asked by Rodney Arnold: ‘I live alone, have leukaemia and type 2 but need to get out occasionally and to shop once a week to get what I want. How can I join in a bubble? I feel I am already getting too forgetful through lack of face to face.’

Answer – Helen Atkinson: ‘I'm sorry to hear that Rodney, and I know there will be others like you who need a bit of extra help at the moment. We have added information in a section on our website called 'vulnerable people', so have a look online if you can, or call HIVE Portsmouth. They're not open to visitors at the moment, but you can call on (023) 9261 6709 and friendly voice will help advise you.’

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Question – asked by Patricia Robinson: ‘When will the general public be tested for the virus? Surely it would make sense to find out who actually is carrying the virus and those who have not?’

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Answer – Helen Atkinson: ‘Currently the resource and critical timings mean that only those with coronavirus symptoms should get tested by booking online at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. It's crucial to self-isolate for 10 days after you notice symptoms, and anyone else in the household needs to self-isolate for 14 days whether or not they have symptoms. Key workers such as those in the NHS and care homes are regularly tested. There are also national testing programmes in place that test a randomly-selected group of people to show the level of infection across the population.’

Question – asked by Matt Carter: ‘Why on the three-tiered system is there no option that has zero restrictions? And what is the baseline for restrictions being removed?’

Answer – Helen Atkinson: ‘The tiered system was set up by government in response to the second wave of infection and to address what is known about the rate and pattern of spread – it's not the same for every area as we know. I expect there was no point at this stage in having a zero-restriction option as no area is in that position. Portsmouth is also looking forward to a time when restrictions can be lifted, but we are not there yet.’

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Question – asked by Victoria Sutherland: ‘How will we be informed if the [lockdown system] status changes?’

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Answer – Helen Atkinson: ‘We will communicate any change in our Portsmouth coronavirus tier status as soon as possible, and as widely as possible – through our specially set up Covid information web page, through our partner community links, the media and social media.’

Keep up to date with the latest coronavirus news in Portsmouth with our Coronavirus Updates Facebook group.

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