Derbyshire's public health director blames 'failing' Test and Trace system for Tier 3 lockdown

Public health director Dean Wallace admitted he only found out the county would be placed under Tier Three restrictions – the strictest of the lockdown levels – half an hour before the government announced the news yesterday (Thursday, November 26).

It comes after the rate of infection in Chesterfield dramatically fell from 291.7 cases per 100,000 people in the week ending November 15 to 157.3 cases in the seven days to November 22.

Mr Wallace said he was not ‘overly surprised’ by the government’s decision to plunge the county into Tier Three when national restrictions are lifted on December 2.

"Looking at our rates and trajectory we are heading in the right direction and the main issue we are facing at present is the pressure on the hospitals in the area and surrounding and the pressure that then puts onto social care.

"What we need testing where you get turnaround times of no more than 24 hours and then as soon as you have that, we need to have really good contact tracing.

"The national system has had billions ploughed into it but we are still having to pick that up locally to enhance the contact system to make the system actually work.

"You need systems in place to identify linked cases and outbreaks as and when it happens so you can get them early and stop the outbreak spreading too far and control it.”

He also expressed his concern about the ‘confused’ message from leaders by imposing harsh lockdown measures until December 23 but then allowing up to three households to meet for five days over Christmas.

"I worry about the messaging around where we seem to go from one big simple answer to another when we are in an extremely complex situation”, Mr Wallace added.

"I think people need to seriously think about how much social contact they are having and what their risk is in the run up to Christmas.

"How comfortable they feel if they are going to mix in Christmas bubbles, in terms of bringing potential risk to their parents, grandparents, people who if they get this virus, are likely to have a more significantly worse outcome than younger, healthier people.”

The Derbyshire health boss warned there could be a spike in infections early next year if people do not follow the rules over Christmas.

Mr Wallace continued: "As long as people carry on following the guidance and that hospital activity starts to drop and following through into social care, then you'd expect that Derbyshire, all things being well at the next review, would move into Tier Two because we are heading in that right direction.

"After all we have been through, it would be one hell of a price to pay to have five big parties over Christmas to suffer a great toll in mid to late January.

"I am not outside these restrictions myself, I suffer under the restrictions other people do, they have the same impact on my family as other people do.

"I don't underestimate the price people have paid to protect themselves and their families.”

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