Intense testing to find South African coronavirus variant gets underway in the North West
OPERATIONS for the door-to-door delivery of thousands of coronavirus testing kits are getting under way across England to help identify cases of the South African variant. The plans are part of urgent efforts to swab 80,000 people in an attempt to halt the spread of the strain. Eleven cases of the variant have been identified over the last five or six days in people who have no links to travel – suggesting it may be spreading in communities. Universities minister Michelle Donelan told BBC Breakfast people in the affected areas should be “thinking twice about their actions”, working from home if possible and “limiting even more” how much time they spend outside their home.
Boris Johnson facing questions as quarantine hotel system not expected to be running for another two weeks
Minutes from a SAGE meeting on January 21 revealed how it urged the government to close Britain s borders
They also warned geographical travel bans would not work in preventing the spread of South African variant
News comes as it was revealed that officials will go door to door to test people in eight areas in England
Officials will go door to door to test 80,000 people in eight areas of England where mutant strain was found
Officials will take swabs in Woking, Walsall, as well as parts of London, Kent, Hertfordshire and Lancashire
Thousands of home tests rolled out in bid to stop South African variant spreading By PA News
|
Contribute to support quality local journalism
Targeted coronavirus testing has been rolled out across areas of England as authorities work to contain the spread of the South African variant.
Door-to-door deliveries began on Tuesday with extra testing in eight postcode areas of the country, as urgent efforts got under way to swab 80,000 people in a bid to stop transmission.
Some locals expressed concern about the variant â which is thought to be as transmissible as the Kent strain but not known to cause more severe disease â with one man saying more action should have been taken sooner.
Door-to-door deliveries of thousands of coronavirus tests aiming to catch cases of the South African variant are under way, with some residents feeling concerned about the presence of the strain in England.
The rollout of extra testing in eight postcode areas of the country is part of urgent efforts to swab 80,000 people and halt the spread of the strain.
Eleven cases of the variant have been identified over the last five or six days in people who have no links to travel – suggesting it may be spreading in communities.
In Woking, Surrey, on Tuesday, where two cases of the strain were discovered, volunteers began ringing and knocking on doors on streets within part of the GU21 postcode area to explain the reasoning for testing and leave kits for residents.
The mixed messages inside the Woking Covid testing zone after Matt Hancock went on TV and caused huge confusion
The Health Secretary appeared to contradict messages sent out locally in Woking
Updated
Police volunteer John Adams drops off test kits to Linda and Clive Dymond of Goldsworth Park (Image: Grahame Larter)
Get the latest email updates for Surrey with our FREE daily newsletterInvalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.
Subscribe here
When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters. Sometimes theyâll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer. OurPrivacy Noticeexplains more about how we use your data, and your rights. You can unsubscribe at any time.