Additional testing is to be rolled out throughout elements of east and west London to suppress the unfold of the South African coronavirus variant.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) on Thursday stated extra testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed in Ealing after a “small quantity” of recent instances of the variant have been discovered.
Further surge testing can be to be carried out in a “focused space” of the IG1 postcode space of Redbridge, east London, the place the variant has additionally been discovered, it added.
The division stated: “Working in partnership with the London Borough of Ealing, extra testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed throughout the borough, the place a small variety of extra instances of the Covid-19 variant first recognized in South Africa have been discovered.”
Everything we’re doing helps to cease the unfold of #COVID19.
Let’s preserve going.
Stay At Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives. pic.twitter.com/PSpD1FQ8Co
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) February 24, 2021
In an additional assertion, it added: “Additional testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to a focused space throughout the IG1 postcode in Redbridge, the place the Covid-19 variant first recognized in South Africa has been discovered.”
People dwelling in each areas are “strongly inspired” to take a Covid-19 check when supplied, whether or not they’re displaying signs or not.
It is the most recent deployment of surge testing in England in a bid to management and suppress the potential unfold of variants.
It comes as new Test and Trace figures confirmed 84,310 individuals examined constructive for Covid-19 in England at the very least as soon as in the week to February 17 – down 21% on the earlier week and the bottom quantity for the reason that week to September 30.
NHS Test and Trace statistics [since launch]
➡️ 22.8 million people examined at the very least as soon as
➡️ 9,108,631 individuals reached by NHS Test and Trace
➡️ 90% of recognized shut contacts who offered contact particulars reached
Read to discover out extra 👇
— Department of Health and Social Care (@DHSCgovuk) February 25, 2021
Some 86.8% of people that have been examined for Covid-19 in England in the week ending February 17 at a regional website, native website or cell testing unit – a so-called “in-person” check – acquired their consequence inside 24 hours.
This is up barely from 85.4% the earlier week, and is the best determine for the reason that week to July 8.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson had pledged that by the top of June 2020, the outcomes of all in-person checks could be again inside 24 hours.
Of the 83,000 individuals transferred to the Test and Trace system that week, 87.9% have been reached and requested to present particulars of current shut contacts.
The new figures additionally present that 1,756,402 lateral circulation system (LFD) checks for Covid-19, or speedy checks, have been performed in England in the week to February 17, down from a file 2,401,651 the earlier week.
The DHSC stated the drop coincided with college half-term holidays.
LFD checks are swabs that give outcomes in half-hour or much less, with out the necessity for processing in a laboratory.
There have been 1,116,433 polymerase chain response (PCR) checks performed in the week to February 17. PCR checks are swabs processed in a laboratory.
This is the fourth successive week in which extra LFD checks have been performed than PCRs.
