COVID-19: Surge testing to take place in Barnet after South African variant cases discovered | UK News

Surge tests are due to take place in the north London area of ​​Barnet after cases of the South African variant of COVID-19 were detected there.

Health officials, starting Thursday, will test people for the variant in specific postcode areas affected in N3 or those who shop on the local main street.

A mobile test unit will be set up in the parking lot at Finchley Central Station and teams will be going door-to-door to offer home test kits.

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Earlier this week, surge tests began in areas of south London Wandsworth and Lambeth.

The two boroughs are testing around 650,000 people after the discovery of dozens of cases of the South African variant of COVID.

The first case is believed to have been detected in a person who arrived in the UK from Africa in early March, but DHSC would only say that the first recorded incidence was “part of a group of households”.

It is believed that this outbreak then spread to a nursing home in Lambeth, where 23 cases were reported.

It has also expanded to two primary schools in Wandsworth which offer additional surge testing.

A DHSC statement said: “Control measures were put in place in these settings as soon as cases of COVID-19 were identified.”

Huge queues formed on Wednesday at the test sites in the two districts.

According to government figures, there have been 533 genomically confirmed cases of the South African variant in the UK and 11 other probable cases.

Scientists have expressed concern over the increase in cases coinciding with the easing of lockdown restrictions in England.

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