Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, our Community Safety Team have been working together with Essex Police and other key organisations to help keep our local communities safe.

The team have been working as part of the track and trace process, helping identify individuals who have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19.

Hard-to-reach individuals who have been unable to be contacted are referred to the team so they can reach them and let them know they need to self-isolate to protect others. Essex Police have been supporting this by visiting and making enquiries about people the team cannot contact.

Between 7 January and 7 February this year, this joined-up working reached over 91% of the people referred who previously could not be contacted, and their case closed. This work included over 107 visits to homes.

Essex Police are also supporting our Covid Marshalls with visits to hotspot areas where people have been congregating, such as the skate parks, play parks and the town centre. They encourage people to do the right thing where possible, but any clear and blatant breaches, which puts the health of the population at significant risk, are dealt with using enforcement.

By working in partnership, the Community Safety Team and Essex Police have been able to help reduce the spread of the virus and help keep the Colchester community safe.