Number of people with Covid-19 after charity football match rises to 61 after 33 more people test positive

Another 33 people have tested positive for Covid-19 after attending a charity football match on the border of Sunderland and County Durham.
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The latest figures bring the total number of cases linked to the event at Burnside Working Men’s Club in Fence Houses to 61, with Houghton highlighted as a hotspot area for cases.

Health chiefs have urged anyone who attended the match on Sunday, August 30, to self-isolate until midnight on Sunday, September 13 – 14 days from the event – even if they have a negative test.

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Gillian Gibson, Sunderland's Director of Public Health, with Amanda Healey, Director of Public Health Durham County Council outside of the Burnside Working Mens Club earlier this week.Gillian Gibson, Sunderland's Director of Public Health, with Amanda Healey, Director of Public Health Durham County Council outside of the Burnside Working Mens Club earlier this week.
Gillian Gibson, Sunderland's Director of Public Health, with Amanda Healey, Director of Public Health Durham County Council outside of the Burnside Working Mens Club earlier this week.
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Durham County Council and Sunderland City Council are working with Public Health England to manage their response.

Gillian Gibson, director of public health at Sunderland City Council, said: "We are seeing increases in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Sunderland particularly in the Houghton area so it’s incredibly important that people continue to follow public health guidance.

"In order to prevent the spread and protect ourselves and our communities, when we’re outside of the home we all need to behave as if everyone we meet is infected.

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"That means staying two metres apart, wash your hands for 20 seconds and do this often, covering your face in enclosed spaces, and stay at home if you have been identified as a contact of a case, have symptoms or are waiting for Covid test results."

Amanda Healy, director of public health at Durham County Council, added: "We were aware that a large number of people are believed to have attended the event so we always expected the number of cases to rise.

"We would like to thank everyone who has responded so far to our call to self-isolate if they were present at the club on August 30 and to those who have sought a test when appropriate.

"We would like to reiterate that our initial advice remains the same in that anyone who attended the event should self-isolate for 14 days from that date unless they're contacted individually by NHS Test and Trace with further advice."

Contact tracing continues to be carried out.

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Anyone struggling to self-isolate or needs to know more about testing can visit www.durham.gov.uk/coronavirus or https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/get-a-test.

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