I'm in one of the doom postcodes, what do I do?

[MonaLisaDoesntSmile]

Sorry but I am a bit cofused- the news I read said to get tested if I live in one of the doomsday postcodes with the SA variant regardless if we have symptoms or not, but the website says not to book if no symptons? My husband is convinced someone will be coming to our house to test us or that there will be a letter?
Apologies again if it's been mentioned, but I have been trying to find intel online already and only coming across contraditory or outdated information.

The door to door thing worries me as well, or any walk through/drive through testing centre for that matter, as I doubt the testers change gloves between each person and their hand goes right up to everyone's wide open mouths. Lots of those people are going to gag, sending germs flying. It just seems like a good way to spread disease.

This is for Broxbourne, Hertfordshire
www.hertfordshire.gov.uk/about-the-council/news/news-archive/10000-residents-in-broxbourne-urged-to-get-tested-amid-isolated-cases-of-new-covid19-variant

@Staffy1

The door to door thing worries me as well, or any walk through/drive through testing centre for that matter, as I doubt the testers change gloves between each person and their hand goes right up to everyone's wide open mouths. Lots of those people are going to gag, sending germs flying. It just seems like a good way to spread disease.

I think that People are handed the sealed test kit and self-swab usually

I think that People are handed the sealed test kit and self-swab usually

Yes, people self swab, then the tests are collected in sealed boxes.

@Staffy1

The door to door thing worries me as well, or any walk through/drive through testing centre for that matter, as I doubt the testers change gloves between each person and their hand goes right up to everyone's wide open mouths. Lots of those people are going to gag, sending germs flying. It just seems like a good way to spread disease.

We had to do the test before for one of our kids, you get a test and go into a separate area, and someone tell you how to do it, you do the swab yourself, seal it and drop it off by the exit. But still if I go will have to take kids, not dure if I'm up for it, especially as the closest unit are not that close. More worried about scammers with fake IDs trying to get people to open their door.

Do the doom postcodes currently have high rates of covid as that maybe indication which version it is.
Maybe not so much south east where new Kent variant played havoc but the ones that were not tier 4.

my guess is that the "other" variants are made up to get higher levels of people conforming to the rules after the relaxation of restrictions over Christmas

Staffy We had a test last week, you could choose to self administer or have it administered. In the latter they changed PPE, masks, gloves and aprons between each test in exactly the same way as they did at the hospital testing centre in the first wave. The hospital one was set up because the Deloitte test centre then consisted of a few men in wellies and hazard jackets who certainly did not change gloves, and they could not get reliable results from it on time. This wave to be fair they have got their act together, and the result came through that evening.

Oh, I didn't know you did the test yourself. When I took my mother to a drive through testing centre, the tester just asked her to open her mouth and did it for her. We watched them do the same thing to the car ahead. Also today, the daily mail has a picture of a tester standing at someone's front door doing the testing for him while he stands there, mouth open.

@Emilyontmoor, good to know they change PPE between each test.

No thank you. I hope they don't end up in my area knocking on doors. I won't be taking part in it

Do the doom postcodes currently have high rates of covid as that maybe indication which version it is. So far they have only identified 100 odd cases between all the postcodes so that would be lost even in the postcodes that had bought cases of other variants down to below average levels. To put it in perspective we are not a doom postcode but with a level of 250 cases per 100k that is still over 470 cases last week.

I think the issue is that some of their cases are not related to other cases or travel so they want to close down chains of transmission.

Of course they change gloves between each person they test or they’d be spreading it like crazy! When I went to a drive in test centre I was very impressed by the tester who was very proficient.

I just looked at my local council's page, I'm not actually in the catchment doom postcode but it's my council. The page says they will be going door to door and dropping off tests for anyone over 16. Also says the tests they are giving out are considered the "gold standard" of tests!

They are also setting up a mobile testing unit.

TheChip No thank you. I hope they don't end up in my area knocking on doors. I won't be taking part in it

Well if you end up in an area where this new more transmissable and less vaccine controlled variant does get to take hold then perhaps you should stay on your side of the door if you are not prepared to take part in safe measures being taken by your community to control it and protect you

I’m in one of the postcodes.
The area that is being tested only makes up a small area of our large london borough. I can’t find cases by council wards (and the testing boundary doesn’t even seem to be full council wards - eg half of my ward is being tested and half not) but cases in the borough as a whole are coming down.
We have 468 cases per 100000. Total cases last week was 1599 which was down by by 923 cases compared to the week before.

@Emilyontmoor I already do stay on my side of the door. So no worries there

Of course they change gloves between each person they test or they’d be spreading it like crazy! The Deloitte drive through test centre weren't in the first wave, you could actually watch them from Tesco Car Park, three men in wellies and hazard jacket and the same gloves all day. They were mostly swinging their legs on a trestle table because nobody in the local community would go near. Last week it was completely transformed and I was impressed by the professionalism but local memories are long and you can see how trust was eroded by some of teh responses on here

Ribbons This goes down to ward level coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/interactive-map

Thanks @emilyonthemoor
I’ll take a look.

More worried about scammers with fake IDs trying to get people to open their door

One council is giving a phone number for residents to call if they are unsure if the test is genuine. They probably won't knock at your door but will deliver it via your letterbox

I think there is a lot of misunderstanding on this thread.

The people distributing the tests to households are not actually doing the test.

That would be a disaster.

You swab yourself and return the swab either when it's collected or drop it off somewhere.

My phone doesn’t like that map! I’ll check again on the laptop tomorrow.

Yes I agree scammers could be a problem.

@RibbonsOnMars

My phone doesn’t like that map! I’ll check again on the laptop tomorrow.

Yes I agree scammers could be a problem.

why would anyone want to scam this?

The process is to drop off kits to homes.

There is no money involved.

Anyone scamming would simply want to prevent control of the virus.

Councils are giving residents phone nos to call if they think someone is not genuine.

@RibbonsOnMars

My phone doesn’t like that map! I’ll check again on the laptop tomorrow.

Yes I agree scammers could be a problem.

That map is dire on my phone. It reloads before you can look at it!