Expand 'bubbles' to Business and Communities units

When testing is available in sufficient numbers would it be possible to expand the 'bubble' approach to larger units. For example, if there's a small business - something like an architect, lawyers, accountants etc where interaction with customers could be done remotely and all members agree to limit their own social bubbles then testing all members of the bubble would allow the business to function as normal. This could then be expanded outwards by bubbles being coalesced.

A similar approach could be adopted for smaller communities - there's lots of communities of under 100 people across the highlands where 'clearing' the community as a whole would make a tremendous difference in exchange for an agreement not to deal with people outside. This might even allow some holiday rental businesses to reopen if visitors could be tested before arrival.

Why the contribution is important

This idea would allow small, but gradually increasing, sections of the community and business to operate with increased confidence and near normality on a limited level, and potentially gives a route back to large units by coalescing small ones. Even the occasional 'leakage' of an infection into a bubble could be handled more efficiently as contact tracing would be concentrated within the unit. It also frees up testing resources to some extent as once cleared testing could be concentrated on sections of society outside cleared units.

by cluanach on May 06, 2020 at 12:24PM

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