Surge testing in London borough after South African Covid cases found

Surge testing is being deployed in another London borough after two cases of the South African Covid variant were discovered.

People living in Redbridge, east London, are being encouraged to get themselves tested to stop the mutant strain spreading further.

The testing will be carried out in the IG1 and IG6 postcode areas and small parts of the IG5 and IG7 postcode areas, the Department of Health said.

It follows more cases of the ‘variant of concern’ being identified in south London, although the new infections are not thought to be linked.

‘The confirmed cases are self-isolating and their contacts have been identified,’ a DoH statement said.

‘There are no links between these cases and the cluster of cases recently identified in the South London area.

‘Everybody aged 11 years and over who resides or works in these postcodes is strongly encouraged to take a Covid-19 PCR test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

‘Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern.

‘In these instances, contact tracers will look back over an extended period in order to determine the route of transmission.’

There have been 737 known cases of the South African variant recorded in the UK so far – 657 in England, 34 in Scotland, 37 in Wales, and nine in Northern Ireland.

It comes as the number of people in England estimated to have Covid-19 dropped 40% in a week, according to the latest figures.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) data shows an estimated 54,200 people were likely to have tested positive for Covid in the week to April 24, down from 90,000 the previous week.

Experts say the latest figures are particularly important as they would have been the first to show the impact of lockdown easing on April 12.

Around one in 1,010 people in private households in England had the virus last week, down from one in 610.

This is the lowest figure since the week to September 5, when the estimate stood at one in 1,400.

Meanwhile, cases of the Indian Covid variant have doubled to 400 in the UK in a week

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