If a person receives a positive Covid-19 test result, they are asked to complete a contact tracing form in order to find out more about their illness, recent activities and people they’ve been in close contact with whilst they were potentially infectious. The NHS test and trace team will attempt to call if this has not been received within eight hours.

If the information has not been received after 24 hours, and the NHS test and trace team have been unable to contact an individual, they will hand over their contact details to BCP Council’s contact tracing team.

If you live in the BCP Council area, have recently tested positive for Covid-19 and have not spoken to someone from NHS Test and Trace, you can expect a call from the council’s team. The call will come from a dedicated number – 01202 123987 – and staff will clearly explain the purpose of the call.

Portfolio holder for Covid Resilience, Schools and Skills, Cllr Nicola Greene, said, “By offering this service locally, we hope to contact more individuals who have tested positive with Covid-19 for test and trace purposes to help stop the spread of the virus and reduce the infection rate.

“We will also be able to check on any individuals we contact to see if they need any support whilst they are self-isolating and offer help through our community response service, Together We Can.

“We urge residents who have received a positive Covid-19 test result to follow the guidelines on self-isolating and engage with contact tracing services in order to help protect our community.”

Affected resident are asked to complete the information form as soon as possible after receipt in order to prevent teams making numerous attempts to contact somebody.

For more information on what to do if you receive a positive test result, please visit the NHS website: nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/what-your-test-result-means/