FRONTLINE council workers who cannot work from home will be able to receive a Covid test every week. Targeted asymptomatic testing has been introduced for frontline council workers who cannot work from home and are working to keep essential services running. Asymptomatic testing using lateral flow devices has already been rolled out nationally to NHS front line staff, care home staff and residents, domiciliary care workers, schools and some commercial organisations. In the first phase of the Dorset rapid testing programme, BCP Council and Dorset Council introduced weekly lateral flow device (LFD) testing for some critical workers who come into face-to-face contact with the most vulnerable.
THE temporary Covid mortuary at Poole Port, initially constructed as part of a worst-case scenario, has been activated in response to Dorset s rising coronavirus deaths. Public health officials say they ve been forced to open the facility, which is one of two emergency mortuary sites in the county, because of the tremendous pressure on NHS mortuary provision. The decision, announced earlier, marks a grim milestone in the coronavirus crisis - coming on a day when another 45 deaths were reported in Dorset hospitals. Cllr Nicola Greene, resilience and public health member at BCP Council, said: Sadly, this is one of the contingencies we are having to put in place.
THE head teacher at a Dorset school said he was “disappointed” schools wouldn’t reopen until March 8, but said he was pleased a date had now been set. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has told MPs it will not be possible to reopen schools “immediately after the February half term”. He said he hoped it would be safe to begin reopening schools in England from March 8. Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: “The first sign of normality beginning to return should be pupils going back to their classrooms. I know how parents and teachers need as much certainty as possible including two weeks’ notice of the return of face-to-face teaching.