Council expands local contact tracing service to cover all cases in the city

Published: 12 March 2021

The Council’s contact tracing team has been expanded to receive and support all people who test positive for COVID-19 in the city.   

The Council has been operating a local contact tracing service since November. If the national Test and Trace system were unable to contact a COVID-19 positive Derby citizen following attempts via SMS and phone calls, their details were passed through to the city’s local service. 

Now, anyone with a positive test and a Derby address will be automatically sent through to the Derby City Council Tracing team.

This means the Council can contact every local case and ensure they have all the support they need to isolate and prevent any further transmission of the virus. It also means the team receive cases faster, so are better able to help people recall places they have visited in the seven days before developing symptoms or taking a test.

This information can help us to identify where citizens might have caught the virus and help us stop the spread.  

One of the services provided by the team is a doorstep visit to check that people with COVID-19 are safe and supported while they are isolating. This is carried out by the Council’s Public Protection Officers. They only visit if the tracing team have been unable to contact people by phone and need to check they are well.

There has been positive feedback from citizens on the local service as they have felt supported through signposting to Derby services such as Derby Direct or the Community Hub.

Dr Robyn Dewis, Director of Public Health, Derby City Council, said:

The expansion to our local contact tracing service means that we can identify those who need to self-isolate and discuss this with them much quicker, therefore reducing the risk of further transmission.

 It also gives citizens more tailored, local support during their self-isolation, by being directly signposted to Derby’s services if they are in any need.

Self-isolating if we contract COVID-19 is vital to reduce the spread and keep others safer. Our team are here to support if you have any problems during your period at home.

The Contact Tracing team will contact cases from the number 01332 956800. If you receive a call from this number, please respond and answer any questions as fully as possible. If you're deaf or hard of hearing, you can text us on 07774 333412 and we can use our deaf interpretations service or email to communicate with you.

The team work seven days a week so people may be contacted via phone at the weekends.

If you are required to self-isolate and may struggle financially due to not being able to work, you may be eligible for a grant to help you through the period.

You can also find out more about Derby's Community Hub online or by contacting 01332 640000. A text service is also available using 07774 333412.

Health