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Trace and Protect scheme goes live in Covid-19 battle


By Alan Beresford

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SCOTLAND’S approach to implementing the ‘test, trace, isolate, support’ strategy, Test and Protect, is now live across the country.

Stewart Stevenson MSP
Stewart Stevenson MSP

Test and Protect is designed to gradually help change the restrictions that work to suppress Covid-19 so society can adapt to a new normal.

Anyone experiencing one or more of the symptoms – a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – must immediately self-isolate for a minimum of seven days.

As soon as they start showing symptoms they should go to www.nhsinform.scot or call 0800 028 2816 to arrange to get tested.

When contacting individuals who have tested positive, contact tracers will ask people to identify others who they have been in close contact with and places they have been 48 hours prior to the onset of symptoms up until the time they have self-isolated. This information will then be inputted into contact tracing software and used to identify and contact those identified.

The positive individual will not be named by the contact tracer in line with patient confidentiality, unless they agree to have their details disclosed to help the contact tracing process.

Importantly, contact tracers will not ask anyone for information about bank accounts or medical records, and they will not try to sell anything. The data gathered will be stored securely by NHS Scotland and safely destroyed as soon as possible after the pandemic concludes.

Commenting, SNP MSP for Banffshire an Buchan Coast, Stewart Stevenson, said: “I understand that people may be worried about the risks of potential phone scams, but the NHS already has a number of protections in place to stop potential fraudsters and ensure all information is kept confidential.

“Contact tracers will introduce themselves, state the reason for their call and will always identify who they are calling by name. They will not ask for information about bank accounts or medical records, and they will not try to sell you anything.

“The tracers will be supported by software which builds on a tried and trusted platform, allowing teams to identify outbreaks and reduce transmission for high risk groups here in the north-east.

“Trace and Protect is one way we will tackle this pandemic, but physical distancing and good hand hygiene continues to play a huge role as minimise the spread of infection.”

More coronavirus updated here.


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