Mass testing for kids in schools: All the places in London, Essex and Kent where you can get children tested
THOUSANDS of schoolkids across London, Essex and Kent will be able to get Covid tests from today as part of a rapid drive to try to drive down another wave of the virus.
Pupils in secondary schools in a string of boroughs are being urged to come forward to get tested to stop the spread - with one in three people with the virus still showing no symptoms at all.
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Emergency testing teams will be sent to secondary schools across the South East to swab pupils and their families.
Hundreds of thousands of tests will be available - and will be offered to kids even if they are showing no signs of being ill.
The blitz comes as London faces being plunged into severe Tier 3 restrictions next week unless soaring infection rates are rapidly reduced.
Anyone who tests positive will have to isolate for ten days, and their contacts will have to do the same.
Today it was announced the isolation period for contacts of positive cases will be reduced from from 14 days to ten.
All kids aged 11 - 18 in secondary schools and colleges will be able to access the tests - as well as teachers, staff and their families too.
Cases are rising fast amongst this age group, Matt Hancock and Professor Stephen Powis said last night.
Mr Hancock yesterday vowed to keep England’s schools open.
But Wales has ordered all their secondary schools to close from Monday and for teachers to switch to online lessons.
There are concerns with Christmas coming up soon, when rules will be relaxed, they could spread the virus onto friends and older family members.
Schools and colleges will be provided with information on how to get involved, and parents or carers will be able to apply for tests using the online testing portal.
Children under 16 attending an mobile testing unit need to be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Everyone over 12 will have to wear a mask when they turn up too.
Mass testing has helped drive down rates of infection in places like Liverpool and Leicester.
Which areas are being offered mass tests for schools?
In London:
- An additional 44,000 home test kits will be made available for school staff including teachers to test before returning in January
- An additional 15 mobile testing units will be deployed in or near schools for staff, students and their families to be tested, providing approximately 75,000 additional tests over and above existing test sites in the capital.
- London boroughs receiving additional testing are Barking and Dagenham; Hackney and the City; Havering; Newham; Redbridge; Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.
In Essex:
- An additional 10 mobile testing units will be deployed tomorrow and over the weekend.
- Essex boroughs receiving additional testing are: Southend; Basildon; Basildon; Canvey Island; Harlow; Brentwood; Harlow; Southend
In Kent:
- An additional 2 mobile will be deployed tomorrow, with a further 10 arriving at the weekend
Mr Hancock said today: “We want to keep schools and colleges open, because it is right both for education and public health, but in the face of rapidly rising cases we must act to target rising rates in secondary school pupils.
“I urge every student, parent and teacher in these areas to step forward for testing - irrespective of whether they have symptoms.
"While COVID-19 may be lower risk to children and young people, it still poses a significant risk to their families and communities. By taking these vital steps, we can get on top of cases and help bring transmission of this virus under control now."
The average number of Covid cases in the capital has now hit 191 per 100,000 — the same as Birmingham where Tier 3 restrictions are already in place. Essex is close behind on 185 per 100,000.
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The worst areas of London are in North East boroughs such as Havering, where cases per 100,000 have rocketed to 380.
Waltham Forest is close behind on 321.
