Outbreak investigated at Motherwell contact tracing centre

[bussnapperwm]

BBC NEWS - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-53465160

Six people have tested positive for coronavirus in an outbreak at a test and trace call centre in North Lanarkshire.

Sitel, which carries out contact tracing for NHS England, said it was aware of a "local outbreak" at its Motherwell site.

Deputy first minister John Swinney told BBC Radio's Good Morning Scotland the call centre has been closed.

He said "extensive contact tracing" was under way.

Sitel said it was "urgently investigating" the outbreak with Public Health Scotland.

The company said it had requested that all staff who have been working at the site undergo testing within the next 24 hours.

A spokeswoman for NHS Test and Trace said everyone at the site is currently working from home while a deep clean takes place.

NHS Test and Trace is a service operated by the NHS in England to track and help prevent the spread of Covid-19 south of the boder.

Whoops. I hope they all self isolate as per their own advice

 

[Skymonster]

ROTFLMAO - only in the UK - an outbreak of an infection at one of the very places where they should be "expert" in advising on how to avoid infection. Its like the Keystone Cops!

 

[Peter Mugridge]

They should at least be able to trace all their contacts easily enough... though I wonder how many of them have blocked their own centralised phone number...?

 

[Scotrail12]

Really hoping that they self-isolate. If they don't, they could spread it and then Sturgeon will go up in arms about it. I live up in Coatbridge so I'm in the North Lanarkshire area and really do not want to face 3-6 weeks of a localised lockdown in July/August.

Admittedly, distancing and masks are fairly common up here so that should help but you just never know what will happen with Sturgeon and her policies.

 

[AdamWW]

ROTFLMAO - only in the UK - an outbreak of an infection at one of the very places where they should be "expert" in advising on how to avoid infection. Its like the Keystone Cops!

Isn't the call handlers job to phone people and tell them to isolate, not on how to avoid infection?

I appreciate the irony, but I fail to see why it's such a big deal.

Actually I thought the call handlers worked from home but not in call centres. Maybe that's just England.

 

[Scotrail12]

What are the chances of a localised lockdown?

 

[GusB]

Isn't the call handlers job to phone people and tell them to isolate, not on how to avoid infection?

I appreciate the irony, but I fail to see why it's such a big deal.

Actually I thought the call handlers worked from home but not in call centres. Maybe that's just England.

The call handlers at this site are for the English Test & Trace service.

 

[Huntergreed]

What are the chances of a localised lockdown?

Quite high, going by her remarks today. (“I’m investigating measures that could be put in place to suppress this outbreak” or something like that!)

 

[bramling]

ROTFLMAO - only in the UK - an outbreak of an infection at one of the very places where they should be "expert" in advising on how to avoid infection. Its like the Keystone Cops!

No worse than the Prime Minister, Prime Minister's chief advisor, Health Secretary and Chief Medical Officer all getting it, oh and not forgetting the small matter of the heir to the throne too. Even America has thusfar avoided such a shambles.

 

[Skymonster]

Imagine the news: “NHS track and trace in England is operating below capacity because of a Covid-19 outbreak at the contact tracing centre in Scotland. Staff, who’s role it is to advise people who have tested positive to self-isolate, have themselves had to self-isolate.”

 

[Yew]

This seems to highlight the folly of this whole suppression debacle

 

[AdamWW]

This seems to highlight the folly of this whole suppression debacle

Um how?

 

[Huntergreed]

Just confirmed from the BBC, no local lockdown is being considered in North Lanarkshire according to John Swinney and contrary to Nicola Sturgeon’s remarks yesterday:

NEWS: No plans for a lockdown in North Lanarkshire
If you're just joining us now, the top story this morning is the news there are no plans for a local lockdown in North Lanarkshire.
This of course after a Covid-19 outbreak at the Sitel call centre in Motherwell, which so far has led to 14 employees testing positive as well as five contacts such as family members.
Deputy First Minister John Swinney said the fact that staff live around the country meant a local closure was not being considered.
The site has been closed and staff have been asked to get tested for Covid.

(Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-53435291)

 

[Scotrail12]

Just confirmed from the BBC, no local lockdown is being considered in North Lanarkshire according to John Swinney and contrary to Nicola Sturgeon’s remarks yesterday:


(Source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-scotland-53435291)

Thank goodness. I can breathe a sigh of relief now.

 

[adc82140]

There wasn't likely to be a lockdown like the Leicester one. The scope of any measures would have been closing down the office building, and perhaps neighbouring ones. The whole point of Leicester was that the outbreak couldn't be traced back to a particular place. In thus case the source of infection is clear.