SWINE flu arrangements in north Essex have been scaled back as the number of cases drops.
From today antiviral collection points at Kennedy Way in Clacton and Fryatt Hospital in Harwich will be closed.
Opening hours for the collection point at Colchester Primary Care Centre will also be reduced to 7am to 11pm, instead of 24 hours a day.
The telephone co-ordination centre, based at the Primary Care Centre, will also scale back its opening times to 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday.
Mike Cable, emergency planning lead officer for NHS North East Essex, said: “There has been a countrywide drop in the number of swine flu cases both in terms of the calls to GPs, the national pandemic flu line and our own co-ordination centre.
“As a result of this we have scaled down the number of swine flu centres.
“However we have retained a core of experienced staff and if the swine flu situation should develop again we will quickly be able to establish the centres again.”
The pharmacies which were designated as collection points would still remain in case they were needed in future.
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