COVID-19 local outbreak prevention and management

COVID-19 Local Outbreak Plan

The current Coronavirus pandemic has underscored the importance of working together, in partnership, to respond to outbreaks of infectious disease. In particular, it has highlighted the importance of having a clear plan and of everyone being aware of each other’s roles and responsibilities in the event of a pandemic.

This COVID-19 Local Outbreak Control Plan has been written to ensure clarity on operational roles and responsibilities for each responding service and organisation, in response to local clusters, outbreaks or cases in high risk areas, communities or settings within Hackney and/or the City of London. This local plan supports and is supported by national and regional plans and national guidance. In developing this plan, we have drawn on learning from elsewhere, both nationally and internationally, as well as the specific work of the London-wide Chief Executives Group.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

(SOPs) are being created by City and Hackney Public Health as part of our COVID-19 local outbreak control plan. Each SOP provides information for prevention, mitigation and control of COVID-19 in various settings listed below.

We explain how the test and trace system works locally in relation to symptomatic individual(s) and to the setting. We also describe how support is activated by Public Health England London Coronavirus Response Cell (PHE LCRC) and City and Hackney Public Health with multi-agency partners.

These SOPs are intended to keep the setting safe and enables key individuals to know what to do in the event of symptomatic cases of COVID-19 in their setting. Information aligns with national guidance, where possible, and includes frequently asked questions (FAQs) and flowcharts.

Useful PHE action cards on reporting an early outbreak include information for places of worship, rough sleeper settings and workplaces.

You can request support or raise a query via a centralised email service Testandtrace@hackney.gov.uk, which directs queries to Public Health and relevant teams in the City of London Corporation and Hackney Council. If your query is out of office hours please contact PHE LCRC team on lcrc@phe.gov.uk or 0300 303 0450.