Enhanced testing in parts of Leeds to tackle sharp rise in COVID-19 cases
The areas with a big rise in cases are being offered an enhanced programme of community testing to help stay safe over the summer
People in Hyde Park, Headingley, Little London and Woodhouse areas who are not experiencing symptoms are being encouraged to get a free PCR test at new pop-up testing centres.
They are located at Cinder Moor on Woodhouse Lane, the Gryphon Centre at The University of Leeds and the Mandela Community Centre on Chapeltown Road.
It's after a huge rise in cases of COVID-19, with Headingley and Hyde Park having a case rate of 841.3 per 100,000 people and Little London and Woodhouse’s case rate standing at around 337 per 100,000 people.
That is significantly higher than Leeds’s overall case rate, which is currently 161.3 per 100,000, an increase of more than 91 per cent in the past seven days.
The council says cases in both areas are particularly high among 18-24 year-olds, who are mostly unvaccinated and who may have been seeing friends and socialising more in recent weeks.
We've been speaking to people in Woodhouse Moor, they said:
"Well I think people are still following the rules, I know some people who've had outdoor gatherings with 30 people, and people who are positive have stayed inside.
"I think a lot of people already do lateral flow testing, so I don't think PCR testing is that much different, and also things have opened up, I think people want to keep them open, so hopefully people get on board with it."
Councillor Salma Arif, Leeds City Council’s executive member for public health and active lifestyles, said:
“With this enhanced testing programme, we’re using every tool at our disposal to try and turn the tide of rising cases in both these areas- but we can’t do it alone.
“We know that with the Euros and the recent sunshine, this is an exciting time to get out and about for everyone who has missed seeing their friends and loved ones. But we need people living in Headingley and Hyde Park and Little London and Woodhouse to work with us, get a test and help us identify where these COVID cases are so together we can stop the spread and ensure Leeds can carry on enjoying a safe summer.
“By doing so, they will be not only protecting themselves and those close to them, but also those living in their communities who might be particularly vulnerable to the effects of this dreadful virus.”
The rise in overall cases in Leeds is consistent with other cities, where recent changes to restrictions have meant more social contact and where the Delta COVID variant, which is considerably more transmissible, has become dominant. As a result, cases are expected to continue to rise over the coming weeks.
Victoria Eaton, Leeds City Council’s director of Public Health, said:
“We are doing everything we can to address the increasing cases, working closely with communities and our local and national partners to prevent and respond to any outbreaks and rising rates.
“Enhanced testing in areas where we are seeing particularly high numbers of cases gives us a chance to break the chain of infection among those who haven’t had a vaccine and hopefully ensure these higher cases do not translate to increased hospitalisations and deaths in Leeds.
“The vaccine still represents our best chance of beating COVID-19 and thanks to all our efforts, more than 500,000 people in Leeds have now been vaccinated. We’d ask that everyone continues to follow the rules and gets their vaccine as soon as they can so we can beat the virus and have a safe summer.”