Surge testing to be deployed in areas within Middlesbrough, Walsall, and Hampshire in connection to new variant

Further targeted areas will have additional testing made available to help monitor and suppress the spread of a COVID-19 variant.

From:

Department of Health and Social Care

Working in partnership with the local authorities, additional surge testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to targeted areas within Middlesbrough in the TS7 postcode, areas in Walsall and in specific areas in the RG26 postcode in Hampshire where the COVID-19 variant first identified in South Africa has been found.

Surge testing is being introduced in addition to existing extensive testing, and in combination with following the lockdown rules and remembering Hands Face Space, will help to monitor and suppress the spread of the virus.

Positive cases will be sequenced for genomic data to help understand COVID-19 variants and their spread within these areas.

People living within these targeted areas are strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 test this week, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

People with symptoms should book a test in the usual way, and those without symptoms should visit their local authority website for more information.

Surge testing in the Egham and Broxbourne areas, which began on February 6 and February 1, is now complete and further data on surge testing will be provided in due course.