The first edition of a new plan designed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in Milton Keynes has been published by the Council today.
The MK Outbreak Control Plan sets out some of MK Council’s areas for priority attention to prevent outbreaks, and the steps local people and organisations should take if there is an outbreak. Everyone has a part to play in helping to control the virus.
The plan is led by Milton Keynes Council in conjunction with Public Health England, and eighteen local organisations provided feedback to help inform it. Designed to evolve, the plan 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 – 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 a £1m share of £300m in funding from the 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. All public health measures were followed, which included offering testing to all children, staff and families as a precaution.
For any outbreak, Milton Keynes 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 explained: "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."
He concluded: "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.
