Matt Hancock: Over 100 cases of new variant in the UK
South Africa is one of several countries around the world which has reported a local variant of Covid-19. The nation joined the UK and Brazil in detecting a more infectious variant which has escaped local borders. British officials recently recorded several local cases of the African strain, otherwise known as 501Y.V2, with potential community transmission.
What is surge testing?
The Government has identified a “small number” of Covid variant cases in the UK.
In response, it has deployed surge testing to “monitor and suppress” any detected local infections.
While the UK has had a rocky relationship with testing and tracing the virus, “surge” testing promises a rapid response.
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Officials will roll out mobile testing units and enhance already available facilities to offer extensive PCR testing.
Local authorities will also encourage people to get tested by providing home testing kits.
Health workers will sequence positive tests for genomic data to help them better understand the variant.
Everyone aged over 16 in the affected areas will have to take a test.
Where will surge testing take place?
Surge testing will take place in the following areas where officials have identified variant cases:
- East of England (EN10)
- London (W7, N17, CR4)
- North West (PR9)
- South East (ME15, GU21)
- West Midlands (WS2)
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Speaking at a Downing Street press conference today, Matt Hancock didn’t add any further lockdown restrictions for these areas.
But he did say people needed to follow the rules more closely to help prevent the virus from spreading further.
He urged residents to ensure they don’t leave home “unless absolutely necessary”.
In a statement following the surge testing announcement, Dr Susan Hopkins, Strategic Response Director to Public Health England and Chief Medical Adviser for NHS Test and Trace, said some of the cases did not have links to international travel.
She added her team would need to “ramp up” testing in “targeted areas” across the UK.
Dr Hopkins said: “As part of our proactive sequencing work, we know that the new variant of COVID-19, first detected in South Africa, has been identified in a number of areas across England.
“A small proportion of these cases have no link to international travel suggesting that there are some cases in the community.
“In response to this, we are ramping up testing in targeted areas, so we can gather more information and effectively monitor any further community transmission.”
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