Bristol surge testing finds several hundred asymptomatic cases
It works out as around one percent of all the tests carried out
Last updated 16th Feb 2021
Health officials have given an update on the surge testing programme being carried out in Bristol, saying around 300 people have tested positive for coronavirus.
That's out of roughly 33,000 tests overall and so works out as about one percent of cases, although it is worth noting 10,000 home testing kits handed out have so far not been returned.
Bristol's surge testing programme was first introduced back on the weekend of the 6-7 February in a bid to track a new COVID mutation found in the city.
So far 16 cases of the mutation have been found here, with some suggesting it could evade immunity.
Much more will be known on that once the surge testing positives are genomically examined.
Bristol's Public Health Director Christina Gray said: "When we started this we had no idea what the response would be and it has been just incredible.
"About 20 percent of all the eligible people in those postcode areas have come forward to take a test which is just fantastic, so a big thanks to everybody.
"I think we are relieved from a public health perspective that in terms of what we are seeing, we're not picking up lots of additional positive cases."
All those who have tested positive will now have to self isolate and will have their contacts traced, as is standard practice.
The Public Health Director for South Gloucestershire Sara Blackmore is urging everyone who has already picked up a test but not returned it, to do so as soon as they can.
"There's still capacity and we're really keen for people to come forward to have their test and as I say, those people who need to return kits, we're really keen that they go through the process.
"All the information is included in their pack," she said.
The 16 cases of the new mutation discovered so far were all found from positives identified before surge testing was introduced.
We're told no cases from the surge testing are likely to be sequenced for another couple of weeks.
"In part the delay is because the technicality of being able to sequence takes some time, but also the demand on the finite resource in the country is obviously significant," Mike Wade from Public Health England said.
"Although we want that prioritised for our cluster, we just have to be mindful of the fact we have a lot of scientists doing very technical work and doing it as fast as they can.
"Hopefully it will be less time than that but it could be a week or two."