A new team of contact tracers is to be hired in Suffolk to help limit the spread of Covid-19 - as the county gears up for a potential second wave of the disease.

According to job adverts posted online, Suffolk County Council is hiring 10 contact and trace officers and one liaison officer.

All positions are being offered for a term of seven months initially, with the successful applicants working from home.

The liaison officer role will pay just over £25,250 a year, while contact and trace officers will earn just over £20,000 a year.

The job advert for contact and trace officer says: “You will play a key role in supporting the contact and trace service for Suffolk as part of our county-wide response to Covid-19.

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“The service will be undertaking contact tracing both by phone and will provide support to people to self-isolate. The service will run seven days a week, 8am to 8pm.”

Earlier this month, the council said senior staff responsible for delivering a new test and trace system in Suffolk had already been recruited.

Stuart Keeble, director of public health at Suffolk County Council, said: “Contact tracing is a vital part of reducing the spread of coronavirus in Suffolk.

“A local contact and trace system is being rolled out in Suffolk, working alongside the national system to enable us to reach more contacts of coronavirus cases locally.

“The local system is already making contact with cases and contacts in Suffolk. Further recruitment is ongoing to expand this system.”

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Contact tracing figures for Suffolk, up to July 24, show that 131 (39%) of the 342 people identified as contacts of confirmed cases had not been followed up.

At 61%, Suffolk’s success rate for ‘completing’ contacts – contacting, registering and giving advice – is higher than the national average of 54%.

James Reeder, the council’s cabinet member for public health and prevention, said: “The contact and trace system being developed in Suffolk will complement and work alongside the national system to enable us to reach more contacts of coronavirus cases locally.”