Summary of a Live Webinar: Lanarkshire COVID-19 Information Session

On Friday 26th November, NHS Lanarkshire officials were joined by Voluntary Action South Lanarkshire (VASLan) and Voluntary Action North Lanarkshire (VANL) member of staff for a free online information session on current guidance on COVID-19 safety arrangements. This event aims to help the third sector organisations to return to pre-COVID-19 operations while maintaining the safety of the people.

Attendees from across North and South Lanarkshire were provided with information on COVID-19 testing, safety guideline to getting back to the office building, as well as information on making office premises secure and safe for staff, volunteers, and service users.

Theresa Currie, Test & Protect Specialist Nurse and Joanne Jenkins, Community Testing and Nurse Supervisor, also shared several links that are worth sharing within the group:

Opening New Community Space

Some questions were raised by attendees on safety guidelines before opening a new community space for the public. Some of the basic COVID-19 guidelines that we should keep in mind are including, but not limited to, providing a mask for those who come in without bringing any mask, hand sanitisers, Track and Trace QR code to record details of who is coming to the building, and ensuring all doors and windows are opened to promote free flow air circulation. We were also advised to get in touch with Environmental Health for further support:

North Lanarkshire

01236 856361

environmental-health@northlan.gov.uk

South Lanarkshire

0303 123 1015

Council call centre to log a call

Signing up for Workplace Testing

On welcoming staff, volunteers, and service users to a workplace, we are encouraged to do a Lateral Flow Test (LFT) twice a week. Initial expressions of interest in workplace testing should be submitted to the NHS National Services Scotland testing mailbox. Organisations will be asked to complete a form providing key information and contact details and it takes a few weeks to complete the registration.

Keeping the Paperwork for Track and Trace

NHS representatives suggest for organisations keep the Track and Trace record for 14 days to allow backtracking information in case somebody tested positive in the premise. It is suggested that organisations must follow official GDPR guidelines to get more information.

Attendees suggest NHS Lanarkshire and the Third Sector Interface should communicate consistently with organisations in North and South Lanarkshire to promote communities’ safety during the pandemic. Guidance and safety advice is continuously updated at the Scottish Government website for the public to access. It is crucial to keep ourselves safe by doing precaution acts such as, take the LFT test twice a week, wearing a mask, get the vaccines and the booster vaccines when it is your turn.

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