WATCH: ‘Don’t go to work if you feel unwell’

A SHOCKING number of people being contact traced have admitted to still going to work despite feeling ‘a little unwell’.

Interview with Programme Director of the East Arm testing facility Richard Evans by the Guernsey Press' Peter Frankland and Tony Curr. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 29218975)

At yesterday’s press conference, every member of the panel said how important it was for people to self-isolate and contact Public Health if they had any symptoms of Covid, no matter how mild they were.

Chief executive of the States Paul Whitfield said he was ‘honestly shocked’ by the number of cases identified through contact tracing to be positive where people have continued to attend their workplace despite feeling unwell.

States chief executive Paul Whitfield. (29219096)

‘This not only presents the obvious risk to our community in continuing to transmit the virus, but for the requirements to contact trace and test, it puts a huge strain on our contact tracers and testing regime.

‘Simply put: if you are showing any signs [of headaches, sore throat, feeling a bit not-yourself, lethargy, coughing] do not attend your workplace or anywhere else and follow the well-published guidelines.’

He could not stress enough how essential this was in the Bailiwick’s mission to suppress the outbreak of the virus.

Will Alexander gets at test at the Covid-19 testing facility on the East Arm, North Beach. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 29218973)

Key essential services are being supported with targeted testing of employees.

Chief executive Paul Whitfield said that this testing identified an asymptomatic positive case on Wednesday night, leading to the rapid closure of two M&S stores for deep cleaning.

The retail staff were then rapidly followed up for testing.

Covid-19 testing facility on the East Arm, North Beach. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 29218986)

‘The expansion of the East Arm [testing] facility is significant in supporting our expanded testing regime to employers and workers in the public and private sectors to keep essential services running despite the high numbers of employees having to self-isolate,’ Mr Whitfield said.

Originally designed for fairly small numbers of incoming ferry travellers, the East Arm facility has been developed into a ‘major asset’ for the on-island testing regime.

That facility alone will be testing around 1,000 people over the next three days.

Covid-19 testing facility on the East Arm, North Beach. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 29218988)

‘We have no backlogs in our testing regime,’ he said.

Everyone who can should attend a test by car. Those who have to go on foot should let the testing co-ordinator know in advance.