Covid testing extended to Southwark

Testing has been extended in south London following the discovery of the South African variant of covid-19

Earlier this week people in Wandsworth and Lambeth were being asked to get checked.

Today door to door testing is being done in the SE16 postcode of Southwark as part of the UK's biggest surge testing operation so far.

One case of the South African variat was found in the Rotherhithe ward and Southwark council say it's working with Public Health England in response.

In addition to door to door tests, a temporary testing site has been opened at Deal Porter Square next to Canada Water Library. It will be open seven days a week from 9am to 3pm

Residents can also collect and drop off a Home Testing kit there.

Sangeeta Leahy, Director of Public Health at Southwark Council, said:

“We understand that this could be concerning news, but there is no cause for alarm. We are delivering COVID-19 tests to residents in a defined area so that we identify how far, if at all, the variant has spread. This variant of COVID-19 may be more easily passed between people, so please take a test if we ask you to by letter. As businesses and venues start to re-open, it is also important that we all continue to follow the current rules on social distancing and meeting with people from outside our household.”

Postcodes where we are delivering tests

SE16 1AT, SE16 1JA, SE16 1JL, SE16 1PJ, SE16 2BX, SE16 2XB, SE16 2XE, SE16 2XU, SE16 4AB, SE16 4AD, SE16 4HL, SE16 4HT, SE16 4HW, SE16 4HY, SE16 4HZ, SE16 4JA, SE16 4JB, SE16 4JD, SE16 4JE, SE16 4JF, SE16 4JG, SE16 4JH, SE16 4JJ, SE16 4JL, SE16 4JN, SE16 4JP, SE16 4JQ, SE16 4JR, SE16 4JX, SE16 4LA, SE16 4LD, SE16 4LE, SE16 4LF, SE16 4LG, SE16 4LH, SE16 4LJ, SE16 4LL, SE16 4LQ, SE16 4NF, SE16 4NG, SE16 4NH, SE16 4NJ, SE16 4NL, SE16 4NQ, SE16 7AU, SE16 7AX, SE16 7AY, SE16 7AZ, SE16 7BA, SE16 7BB, SE16 7BD, SE16 7BE, SE16 7BG, SE16 7BH, SE16 7BJ, SE16 7BL, SE16 7BN, SE16 7BQ, SE16 7BS, SE16 7BU, SE16 7BW, SE16 7BX, SE16 7BY, SE16 7BZ, SE16 7DL, SE16 7DT, SE16 7DX, SE16 7DY, SE16 7DZ, SE16 7EA, SE16 7EB, SE16 7ED, SE16 7EE, SE16 7EF, SE16 7HA, SE16 7HS, SE16 7HY, SE16 7HZ, SE16 7JA, SE16 7JB, SE16 7JD, SE16 7JE, SE16 7JF, SE16 7JH, SE16 7JJ, SE16 7JL, SE16 7JN, SE16 7JP, SE16 7JQ, SE16 7JR, SE16 7JS, SE16 7JT, SE16 7JU, SE16 7JW, SE16 7JX, SE16 7JY, SE16 7JZ, SE16 7LN, SE16 7NJ