Nottinghamshire school sets up targeted testing for Omicron

pharmafile | November 29, 2021 | News story | Sales and Marketing  

A school in Nottingham has set up targeted testing after a case of the new COVID-19 variant, Omicron, was detected in the county, according to the BBC.

Cases were identified in Nottingham and Essex on Saturday, and the UK Health Security Agency (UKSHA) said that they were both connected to travel in South Africa.

Nottinghamshire County Council reported that investigations into the spread of the variant locally were being carried out at a school in West Bridgford, to understand how quickly Omicron is spreading, and how this can be prevented.

Jonathan Gribbin, director of public health for Nottinghamshire, said: “As part of our investigations into the confirmed case of Omicron in the Nottingham area, we are also now working with parents of children at a Nottinghamshire school to seek their consent for some targeted testing, and that will be something we will do to get a better understanding of how the variant is spreading.”

The total reported Omicron cases in the UK now stands at nine. As of 26 November, two people in Brentwood, Essex, and Nottingham, were confirmed to be infected with the Omicron variant, and six cases have now been reported in Scotland.

From Tuesday 30 November, mask-wearing in shops and on public transport will become mandatory again, and rules have returned on PCR testing for people entering the country from abroad.

Sajid Javid has said that the UK will take further action “in a proportionate way wherever necessary”, but has not made working from home guidance mandatory, as this is not deemed necessary. COVID-19 vaccine makers have also pledged rapid responses to combat the new Omicron variant.

Lina Adams

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