TEESSIDE health teams are gearing up to play their part in a new test and trace system to clamp down on hot spots of coronavirus.

A nationwide “test and trace” scheme to track covid-19 cases is being rolled out today.

This will see anyone who tests positive for coronavirus contacted by a new NHS Test and Trace service which will need to share information about their recent interactions.

A national package of £300m has been earmarked for councils to help develop their own “local outbreak control plans” – which will work on identifying and containing potential outbreaks in workplaces, housing complexes, care homes and schools.

Middlesbrough has been hit hard by the pandemic with one of the highest rates of Covid-19 per 100,000 population in the country.

Its public health team has been gearing up its outbreak control plans as the scheme gets going.

Mark Adams, South Tees director of public health, was asked what role the council would play in any potential “test and trace” system at the latest overview and scrutiny board.

“It’s looking very likely that’s going to be a national and local effort with local leadership,” said Mr Adams. “There is a three level approach to the national programme.

“Level three is the call handlers, which are being recruited nationally to ring contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19, level two is being recruited through NHS professionals.

“We will be involved at level one working with the health protection team and Public Health England on planning for an outbreak, and developing our local outbreak management plan for controlling and managing outbreaks where they exist, and dealing with complex situations.”

The health chief said there were “areas of risks” in Middlesbrough which were being examined including “homes of multiple occupancy” (HMOs) in the borough.

He also said work being done with schools and other settings to deal with “hotspots” on the back of evidence received from contact tracing teams.

Mr Adams added: “Locally, where there are issues of people who’ve potentially been contact-traced having to come out of the workplace, we’re in a better position to support them if there is an issue with a business, council service or a school staying open.

“We’re much better placed to support that than a national organisation that is very remote from Middlesbrough.”

The Government says the national “Joint Biosecurity Centre” will work with local authorities and directors of public health to pinpoint localised outbreaks and offer responses – including plans to quickly deploy testing facilities.

Teesside was selected as one of 11 areas to give the test and trace scheme feedback on how it was performing last week.

But it is not known whether the councils got any extra resources to carry out this function.

On Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said “local lockdowns” were part of the test and trace strategy where there were “flare-ups” of coronavirus.

Middlesbrough Council chief executive Tony Parkinson raised doubts about the effectiveness of a lockdown concept in the town earlier this month.