The first case of Coronavirus was confirmed on the Isle of Wight two weeks ago.
Although the total number of confirmed cases still stands at two, readers have been asking whether OnTheWight could find out how many people have been tested.
No breakdown of numbers tested
OnTheWight has been told that the Government are not providing the granular detail of how many people are being tested per local authority or NHS Trust region.
There have been 64,000 tests conducted nationally and the Government say that testing is being expanded every day (increased to 25,000 people within NHS hospitals every day within a few weeks), but is mostly being concentrated on those being treated for respiratory conditions in NHS hospitals.
Public Health England are carrying out some GP testing in the community, but again no details are available for the Isle of Wight.
No numbers for self-isolating
As those self-isolating do not require a doctor’s note there are no official records of those numbers either.
If you want to stay up-to-date on the confirmed number of cases across the UK, bookmark the Public Health England Covid-19 Dashboard, where you can find breakdowns for local authorities and NHS Trust regions.
Four attempts to get to the answers
Getting the detail was not easy, we were referred from the IWC Public Health to the IW NHS Trust, from them to Public Health England, and from them to Dept for Health and Social Care.
Luckily we were fourth time lucky in getting answers to our questions (NB: news is expensive if you want information verified and cross checked).
Government Covid-19 guidance: Stay alert and stay safe
Wash your hands thoroughly and frequently (video tips).
Social distancing
It is recommended that you maintain at least a two metre gap (about 6.5ft) from people who are not from your household.
Seeking advice
Use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service that can tell if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Image: Ashkan Forouzani under CC BY 2.0
