Our local outbreak management plans were developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to set out how we respond to and manage outbreaks, working with partner agencies.
In 2020 we established two Local Outbreak Management Plans one for Dorset Council and one for BCP Council
Our refreshed outbreak management plan 2021/22 sets out how we will live safely with COVID-19 across the Dorset and BCP Council areas.
Our four priority areas were delivered through the local Health Protection Board (HPB) working with partners.
1.Transmission must be brought, and kept, as low as possible;
2.Surveillance of transmission and new variants must be optimal;
3.Contact tracing and isolation must work, with a clear testing strategy;
4.Vaccination must continue to be effective and delivered equitably2
We continue to support high risk settings, carry out ongoing surveillance, being vigilant for signs of sustained transmission and the emergence of new variants.
Governance
Local outbreak control plans were overseen by our Health and Wellbeing Boards. The boards have representatives from all local public sector agencies and the voluntary and community sector.
The responsibilities of the board include:
- Political oversight of the local delivery of plan and response
- Communicating and engaging with residents and communities
The day to day management of the plan was co-ordinated through an Our Dorset COVID-19 Health Protection Board chaired by the Director of Public Health, Sam Crowe.