Covid surge testing to take place in a Hampshire postcode this week

A person tested positive for the strain in the Bramley area of Basingstoke, the county council announced.

Additional testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to the RG26 postcode.

The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said people living within the targeted areas are strongly encouraged to take a Covid-19 test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

Simon Bryant, the council’s director of public health, said: ‘I appreciate that this news may be worrying for the local community, but it’s really important to understand that the risk of transmission from this single case is considered to be very low, helped by the fact that national restrictions are in place with most people staying at home and adhering to the Government guidance of ‘hands-face-space’.

‘Furthermore, there is no evidence that this particular variant causes more severe illness, or that the regulated vaccines do not protect against it.

SEE ALSO: Latest number of coronavirus cases confirmed in Hampshire

‘Following confirmation of the case and in line with Government guidelines, the County Council has begun work with Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Public Health England, our local NHS, as well as the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), to arrange a localised ‘surge testing’ programme in the area. This is due to begin next week.

‘The rapid local testing programme is primarily a precautionary measure designed to help the Government to better understand and prevent the spread of new variants across the country.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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