By Ann Yip ann yip Audience and content editor / Follow me: facebook.com/annyipjournalist
Good broadband has become even more important after a year of lockdowns. Photo: Pixabay Having good broadband at home has never been more important after a year spent in lockdowns and working from home. Covid restrictions over the Christmas period also means more people have had to connect with their loved ones virtually. Video calls, virtual quizzes and online gatherings have become the norm. However, for some families in Epping Forest, this year’s frustrations are set to continue with new figures revealing crippling broadband speeds in some neighbourhoods.
By Lewis Berrill @LewisBerrill Chief reporter - east London and west Essex
Members of the public complete a test swab during a lateral flow Covid test. Photo: PA Wire A new fast Covid-19 testing centre for people who do not have symptoms has opened in Brentwood as Essex introduces measures to combat spiralling infection rates across the county. This testing centre is the third of its kind in Essex, and will join The Towngate Theatre in Basildon and The Place Leisure Centre in Pitsea as one of the first places in the county and the region to offer new 30-minutes result Lateral Flow Tests to the wider population.