Latest information on Coronavirus

NHS Covid-19 App

Isle of Wight residents are the first to be offered access to a new contact tracing app, as part of Government action to test, track and trace to minimise the spread of Covid-19 and move towards safely reducing lockdown measures.

Everyone on the island will receive access to the official NHS Covid-19 contact tracing app from Thursday (May 7), with NHS and council staff able to download the app earlier.

Here is a Frequently Asked Questions document which may be able to help answer any questions you might have. Your feedback is important and if you have further questions the please email nhccg.partnership.communications@nhs.net 

Get the latest updates and advice from:

• NHS England and NHS Improvement
• GOV.UK

Mental health support on the island

In these unsettling times, it is not only your physical health that might be challenged but also your mental health.

This could be whether you already have a diagnosed mental health condition or are experiencing low moods, stress, anxiety or depression for the first time because of your concerns about the disease.

Or you may just simply be finding it hard to cope without the social activities and interactions that you would normally have or finding it difficult having to stay at home.

We are working hard to develop a wide range of resources for anyone in the community who might be struggling or just wants some advice and guidance. 

We have produced a leaflet here with some immediate key information that we hope will help.

We are also providing information for the new Island community Coronavirus website which has a lot of very useful information including a section on mental health.

Please check both this and our website regularly for updates.

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Being discharged from hospital: what you need to know

Over the coming weeks the NHS needs to make sure it is able to support all those who will need hospital treatment as a result of coronavirus (COVID-19). To do this we need to organise the safe discharge of people who are well enough to leave hospital.

A staff member will discuss the discharge process and transport arrangements with them directly, or with a family member, friend or carer. Patients will either be discharged to their own home or to another place of care (such as a care home or community hospital).

If they require care and support when they get home, this will be arranged. Any care provided will be free of charge for a period of time to support their recovery. After this time they may be required to contribute to the cost of care.

Please be aware that patients will not be offered a choice of where they will be discharged to and they will not be able to remain in hospital if they choose not to accept the care that is offered following discharge. Our focus needs to be on freeing up as many hospital beds as quickly as possible whilst ensuring that patients are discharged safely and to the most appropriate place. We ask for your understanding and support as we do this.

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National COVID-19 update: March 16

On Monday March 16 the Prime Minister gave an update on how you should stay at home for if you begin to have symptoms linked to Covid-19:

• if you have symptoms, stay at home for 7 days
• if you live with other people, they should stay at home for 14 days from the day the first person got symptoms
• If you live with someone who is 70 or over, has a long-term condition, is pregnant or has a weakened immune system, try to find somewhere else for them to stay for 14 days
• If you have to stay at home together, try to keep away from each other as much as possible

Read advice about staying at home.

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National COVID-19 update: March 12

On Thursday March 12 the Prime Minister announced we have moved from the containment phase to delay phase. 

The delay phase means that measures will be gradually introduced to slow the spread of the virus. This will help delay the spread until the summer to reduce the impact on services and give more time for a vaccine to be developed.

As part of this anyone who shows the following symptoms is being asked to self-isolate for seven days. The symptoms are:

• A high temperature (37.8 degrees and above)
• A new, continuous cough

You do not need to call NHS 111 to go into self-isolation. If your symptoms worsen during home isolation or are no better after seven days contact NHS 111 online.

There are a number of national websites which are being regularly updated with advice and guidance related to Covid-19:

• Figures on the number of confirmed cases are updated nationally everyday on the Public Health England website
• Regularly updated travel advice is available on the Gov.uk
• Information about the virus and advice on symptoms is available on the NHS.uk website

Washing your hands is still one of the best things to do to help stop the spread of Covid-19. This video shows you why it's important to keep your hands clean: