WOKINGHAM is well prepared for any outbreak of the Coronavirus according to the council leader, Cllr John Halsall.
He said that action plans have been made and are ready to be pressed into action, should any resident comes down with the flu-like bug.
And Wokingham Borough Council teams will leap into action to minimise any risk to the public caused by the virus, which started in China and has spread across the globe.
Although there has so far been a low rate of infection in the UK, there are concerns that an infection in Italy could spread. Earlier this week, students from schools across Berkshire have been told to self-isolate themselves on returning from trips to the country.
Pupils from The Holt School were initially told to take this course of action for the recommended 14 days, before being told they could return to school.
Earlier this month, medical statistics expert Ben Cowling – who has been helping the World Health Organisation and is a former Sonning CofE Primary School pupil – said that a pandemic is likely.
“My prediction is that cases will begin to pop up in the UK by early March,” he told Wokingham.Today
“Specifically I predict that older adults will start being admitted to UK hospitals with pneumonia and testing positive for the coronavirus, but having no links to China or contact with travellers from China and no idea how they were infected.
“This will alert health authorities to the start of an epidemic.”
If or when that happened, the UK government would need to decide on any extra infection control measures.
And Cllr Halsall feels that the council is ready should this happen.
“We asked officers to put in place a graded plan so we can put it into action when the Coronavirus is in Wokingham,” he said.
“The plan has been crafted so we can create the appropriate response.”
He added that a cross-party team has been working on it.
“It has a focus on care, schools and all sorts of things,” he promised.
“We’re planning for the worst, but hopefully we won’t get there. That’s our job, to consider all circumstances.”
He added that senior council leaders had been in close contact with The Holt School over the students who had been in Italy over half-term.
