HEALTH bosses have this afternoon revealed that a case of coronaviris confirmed as being in Darlington yesterday, is in fact, in County Durham, and apologised for the administrative error which led to incorrect information being released to the public.

Health officials confirmed the case as relating to a Darlington resident on Tuesday, however in a statement released through Durham County Council today, said that was incorrect.

A spokeswoman for Public Health England North East said: “PHE North East would like to clarify that a local reporting error (from health officials) led to Darlington Borough Council being identified as an upper tier local authority with one confirmed case of Covid-19.

"This is incorrect and the confirmed case is, as has been reported on our national dashboard, in County Durham. We apologise for this error. This minor reporting inaccuracy did not in any way delay the public health response to this case and we are  contacting people who had close contact with the confirmed Durham case and they will be given health advice about symptoms and emergency contact details to use if they become unwell in the 14 days after contact with the confirmed cases.”

Amanda Healy, Durham County Council’s director of public health, said: “We would reiterate Public Health England North East’s message that this did not affect the public health response. We continue to work closely with PHE, the NHS and public health teams in other authorities in dealing with this continuously evolving situation.

“The resident diagnosed with coronavirus in County Durham has been offered support. We would like to reassure residents that the risk to people in our area is currently low and the advice to the public remains the same. The best way of protecting yourself against infection is regular handwashing with soap and water or the use of a hand sanitiser when this is not possible. And, as with all viruses, coughs and sneezes should be caught in a tissue which should be thrown in the bin before you wash your hands.

“Additionally, anyone who is concerned that they may have the symptoms of coronavirus should call 111 rather than visiting their GP or a hospital. People can also access the latest advice and information on the situation by visiting www.nhs.uk or www.gov.uk.”

Councillor Kevin Nicholson, Darlington Borough Council’s Cabinet member for Health and Housing, said: “We were made aware of a reporting error by PHE North East, which led to Darlington, rather than County Durham, being incorrectly identified as a local authority area with one confirmed case of Covid-19.

“We share geography with County Durham and we also share a number of key public health bodies as a whole, and we work very closely with them here in Darlington.

“Our position remains unchanged – we are preparing for the possibility of cases in Darlington and we have robust plans in place to deal them, if and when they arise.

“In the meantime, our thoughts and best wishes continue to be with the County Durham resident who has been diagnosed. We wish them a full and speedy recovery.”