Surge testing begins in Kingston after sharp rise in coronavirus cases among younger ages
A small number of confirmed cases of the Delta variant have been identified in Kingston
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Three weeks of surge testing have begun in a London borough bordering Surrey due to sharply rising coronavirus cases, a council has said.
The number of new cases being reported in Kinsgton is rising at present. New infections of Covid-19 in Kingston are rising as concerns over the highly transmissible Indian variant persist. On Friday (May 28) the council (RBK) urged residents in the borough to remain vigilant and ensure they followed Covid safety measures such as physical distancing and regular hand washing during the bank holiday weekend and half-term. In an effort to help reduce transmission in the borough, a new government-backed pilot scheme that will introduce contact tracing at Kingston Hospital was announced earlier this week (see below). Authorities hope it will quell the uptick in new infections in the borough, with 82 new cases of Covid-19 confirmed in the borough in the seven days up to May 23 according to Public Health England (PHE) data.
Kingston s streets swelled with people returning to the borough s shops, cafe and salons en masse today (Monday, April 12) after months of lockdown restrictions on non-essential commerce were eased. Photographs showed large queues outside some of Kingston s most popular shopping centres and sites, while other people could be seen waiting patiently in distanced chairs for their first professional beauty treatment or haircut in months. The scenes mirrored those across south London on Monday as Londoners embraced the hard-earned freedoms of low coronavirus infection rates despite the cold early April weather.
Shoppers and restaurant goers return to Kingston. Image: Oliver Monk / @olliegmonk
Authorities and businesses in Kingston and Epsom are making final preparations ahead of the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions on Monday, April 12. Both Kingston Council (RBK) and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council (EEBC) issued advice and guidance for residents ahead of the upcoming reopening, while shops in both boroughs readied themselves to welcome customers back again after months of lockdown imposed to help suppress the spread of Covid-19. In line with their roadmap of gradually reopening the UK economy in a way that minimises the risk of another wave of Covid infections, the government have said that non-essential retail and business including clothes shops and salons can reopen on Monday, while pubs and restaurants will be allowed to serve food outdoors once more.
Kingston and Epsom prepare for new ease in Covid lockdown yourlocalguardian.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from yourlocalguardian.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.