Covid: Which postcodes will have door-to-door testing and how will it work?

Health Secretary Matt Hancock urged those living in affected areas to: ‘Stay at home and let’s get this new variant totally under control’

In an attempt to stop the spread of the South African Covid-19 variant, the UK government has announced that coronavirus testers will travel door-to-door in some parts of England to carry out “surge testing.”

Eight areas of England will be affected by these measures, with health officials hoping to test 80,000 people.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock emphasised: "It is absolutely vital that people in those areas minimise all social contact and get a test when the opportunity arises.”

Here, The Independent looks at what the new testing measures will involve.

Why has it been introduced?

Gene sequencing has found 105 cases of the South African variant in the UK, the majority of which have been linked to previous foreign travel.

But over the past five or six days, 11 cases of the variant have been identified in people who had not been overseas.

This has raised concerns that the strain could be spreading in the community and prompted the launch of a new door-to-door testing policy and enhanced contact tracing.

Mr Hancock said that these measures were needed to “come down on it hard” and “stop chains of transmission.”

Where will the testing happen?

The extra testing will take place around the country in eight postcode areas, including three in London.

The affected areas are:

- Hanwell, west London (W7)

- Tottenham, north London (N17)

- Mitcham, south London (CR4)

- Walsall in the West Midlands (WS2)

- Broxbourne, Hertfordshire (EN10)

- Maidstone, Kent, (ME15)

- Woking, Surrey (GU21)

- Southport, Merseyside (PR9).

How will it be carried out?

How the testing will be carried out is dependent on each local authority. As well as door-to-door testing, strategies include opening new testing sites and sending out increased numbers of home test kits.

The government has said that they encourage everyone over 16 living in the eight affected parts of England to take a test this week.

What will happen to positive tests?

Experts from Public Health England have previously been sequencing around five to 10 per cent of all positive cases in a search for variants.

However, positive tests in the eight areas of the “surge testing” programme will all be sequenced. This will help to identify any further spread of the South Africa variant.

What do residents living in affected areas need to do?

The government has told people who have symptoms to book a test in the usual way using the government website.

Those without symptoms are directed to their local authority for more information.

Mr Hancock appealed to people living in the affected areas with the words: "Stay at home and let’s get this new variant totally under control."

Universities minister Michelle Donelan also commented on the situation, saying those affected should be "thinking twice about their actions."

What’s happening in each area?

In Hertfordshire, residents of the EN10 area of Broxbourne can book a test at one of two sites or collect a home testing kit for all members of their household. Door-to-door testing will be starting there this week.

In Kent, door-to-door testing in the ME15 area will begin on Tuesday. Residents will be tested by staff from Kent Police, Maidstone Borough Council and Kent Fire and Rescue among others.

In Surrey, residents of parts of Woking living in the GU21 postcode area will be visited by a member of the council's testing team. Enough kits will be provided for all members of a household aged 18 or over to carry out a test.

In Tottenham, in the borough of Haringey, teams will go door-to-door offering home testing kits. There will also be a mobile testing unit for people who do not have symptoms.

Residents in Hanwell, Ealing, will be able to use a variant walkthrough testing centre. The council will also start a door-to-door delivery of home test kits to all households.

In Mitcham, Merton, south London, thousands of extra tests will be available and some of these will be delivered door-to-door in the affected area.

Households in Walsall, West Midlands, will be given home testing kits. Testing units will also be deployed offering testing to those living or working in the WS2 area.

In Southport, Merseyside, Sefton Council has said locally-led test kit door drops will be provided.

On top of this, mobile testing units will also be supplied, which people without symptoms are being asked to use.