MK Council release details of first phase of plan to control covid-19
Milton Keynes Council have released the first edition of a new plan designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the city and local area.
The MK Outbreak Control Plan is the council’s proposal to set out some of MK’s areas for priority attention to prevent outbreaks, and the steps local people and organisations should take if there is an outbreak.
Milton Keynes Council confirmed the plan has been developed in conjunction with Public Health England, and eighteen local organisations provided feedback to help inform it.
The plan is designed to evolve as the situation develops and will be updated regularly as new insights into the virus and its management are known.
Alongside it, a new outbreak prevention group has been formed made up of representatives from all ‘category one’ responders in Milton Keynes, which consists of the council, emergency services and health bodies.
All council areas in England have been asked to produce an outbreak plan by the end of June. Milton Keynes has also been allocated £1m share of £300m in funding from government to support the plan and manage outbreaks.
Since lockdown measures have started to ease, Milton Keynes has had one outbreak at a nursery where 23 adults and children were confirmed with COVID-19.
As part of their response, all public health measures were followed, which included offering testing to all children, staff and families as a precaution.
For any outbreak, MK Council and the local public health team will work alongside Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace local teams.
Council Leader, Cllr Pete Marland said, “We have robust local arrangements in place to deal with new cases and outbreaks in Milton Keynes. Our aim is to identify and manage outbreaks at speed, working with partners and communities to get rid of the virus in MK.
“Of course, prevention is the best method and we ask people to keep following the sensible measures we’ve been promoting – staying distant, regular handwashing, and isolating and getting tested if you have symptoms.
“If you look at what’s happening in Leicester it shows just how quickly Covid-19 can take hold. Lockdown measures are easing but this is not the time to be complacent.”
Milton Keynes’ Health and Wellbeing Board, which meets in public, will be asked to formally sign off the plan when it meets in July and will oversee its ongoing delivery.