Surge testing rolled out in Barnet after South African variant found
Not linked to cases in south London
Last updated 15th Apr 2021
Surge testing operations roll out today across parts of north London after further cases of the South African coronavirus variant were found.
Three boroughs in south London have set up additional testing facilities to process thousands of residents, while a case of the variant was also detected in Barnet, north London.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed the case in Barnet was unrelated to other clusters, but it had been isolated and the person's contacts traced.
People in the N3 postcode area of Barnet are being asked to get checked from Thurs 15th, however we have been told this new case is unrelated to the cluster detected in south London.
Barnet Council said although the single case of the variant had been traced, residents in Finchley N3 were "strongly encouraged'' to take a PCR test, even if asymptomatic.
You can check if you are in the postcode area using this link
"This week, a team working on behalf of Barnet Council will be going door to door to affected households in N3 to offer PCR home testing kits,'' it said in a statement.
"Other people in affected areas will receive a leaflet asking them to get tested at a mobile testing unit (MTU) located in Finchley Central Underground Station car park.
"Regular shoppers in Ballards Lane are also encouraged to get tested at the MTU.''
A Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) will be set up from Thursday 15th April in the car park in Finchley Central Station. This will be open from 8 am to 3 pm 7 days a week. The opening times may change on Saturday 17 April due to HRH The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.
Targeted testing is planned to last for up to 2 weeks
Those who test positive for COVID-19 are told to self-isolate, as they would have to do normally. The results help Public Health England work out how fast a variant is spreading in each area.
Downing Street has insisted the outbreak is being taken "very seriously'' and "strong measures'' have been put in place to prevent it spreading.
Testing is already underway in areas of Lambeth, Wandsworth and Southwark.
A DHSC spokesperson said:
"Additional surge testing and sequencing has been successfully rolled out in a number of targeted locations to help us suppress, control and better understand Covid-19 variants in circulation.
"Surge testing has been well received by the public in those areas, with thousands of tests completed and thousands of genomes sequenced.''