New covid test centres to open in Berkshire
Berkshire West Director of Public Health explains why it's important to get a grip on the variant
Last updated 7th Jun 2021
People living in parts of Berkshire are being told to take extra covid tests after a big increase in the number cases involving the Delta variant of covid, which originated in India.
We put some questions to Meradin Peachey, the Director of Public Health for Berkshire West, about the situation.
How bad is this outbreak?
"The rate of both Reading and Wokingham council areas is going up, in Reading it's now 90 per 100,000. We know from scientists that this variant is a lot more transmissible. How it got here we don't know, it could be a traveller probably something else we can't be sure.
Can't we just live with the virus because we know in most cases this variant isn't making people seriously ill?
"We know this variant is very transmissible and it's true it's not making people sick enough to go into hospital, the problem is if it circulates for much longer it may mutate again and there could be a mutation that makes the vaccine not work"
So you're asking people in parts of Reading and Wokingham to take tests - will there be more test sites?
"We've got mobile testing units that are already in the patch delivered by the Department of Health and Social Care, and we have two local testing sites that have been turned over in the afternoon and evening to asymptomatic people and we're going to open up our community sites for PCR testing. We hope to have sixteen centres by the end of the week. "
How bad is this outbreak compared to say the north of England?
"(in the north of England) it has transmitted very quickly so in some parts they have 3-400 cases per 100,000. Reading is now at 90 per 100,000. In the south-east we haven't quite got the same percentage of all our cases being the delta variant, but we are moving that way."
Finally what would be your message to people in Berkshire, particularly the affected areas?
"The only way you'll know if you've got the virus is if you get a test. Keep testing with lateral flow tests if you're invited for a PCR test come forward and take advantage of it, it's easy to do. And if you are positive please isolate it's the only way we can stop the transmission. If you've concerns financial or otherwise about isolating please contact your local council both Reading and Wokingham are very responsive to anyone who needs help and support to isolate".
Information on where to get a test is here