Thousands to be tested over South African variant cases as PM ramps up preparations for reopening of schools

Cases of the mutated strain have been discovered in areas including west London and Surrey
April Roach @aprilroach282 February 2021

Tens of thousands of people will be tested for coronavirus in a bid to find “every single case” of the South African variant as the Prime Minister is said to have ordered ministers to ramp up preparations for schools reopening.

Eleven cases of the mutated strain of Covid-19 were identified in areas such as Surrey and west London over the past week.  

The cases had no links to travel or previous infections, prompting concerns the mutation may be spreading in communities.

Mobile testing units and home testing kits are being deployed to areas where the variant has been discovered as health officials carry out an urgent “surge” testing programme to prevent the variant from getting a foothold.

The testing has already begun in Surrey where around 150 volunteers are going door to door with testing kits. They will return later in the day to collect them before the tests are sent off to a lab to be examined for the South African strain.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock told a Downing Street news conference on Monday that while there is no evidence the South African strain is more deadly, “we need to come down on it hard”.

“It’s a big effort getting this new variant… essentially finding every single case of it, that is the goal,” said Mr Hancock.  

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Public Health England (PHE) director Dr Susan Hopkins added that the cases of the variant are “more likely to be related to somebody who potentially had asymptomatic infection when they came in from abroad”.

She said: “We are looking to find extra cases in the community to see where we can find links and to try and close down and eliminate the transmission between people.”

It comes as the Boris Johnson is reported to have asked ministers to ramp up preparations for the reopening of schools by March 8 as coronavirus cases continue to fall.

Chief medical officer professor Chris Whitty told Mr Johnson the virus has passed its peak and has been on the decline for a week, reports the Daily Telgraph.

The Prime Minister is expected to announce further measures to help children catch up after nearly a year of disruption.

Meanwhile, parents in Scotland will find out on Tuesday if their children will be able to return to school by the middle of February, as Nicola Sturgeon gives the latest update on Covid-19 lockdown restrictions.

The Scottish Government has already said the current restrictions will last until at least the middle of February but the statement to MSPs will provide some detail on “other steps we are planning to take”, the First Minister said.

People queue outside a testing centre in Ealing
Jeremy Selwyn

The worry that the South Africa variant was spreading across England came as reports suggested scientists had recommended ministers should have gone harder with their border controls to stop new variants from entering the country.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), according to The Times, said only mandatory hotel quarantines for all arrivals or a total border shutdown would keep mutations at bay.

A week after the advice was reportedly given to the UK Government, the Prime Minister outlined his plan for travellers coming from 30 “red list” countries to face up to 10 days in hotel self-isolation, with no date yet set for when the rules will start to be enforced – proposals lighter than those pushed by Sage.

Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds called for the Home Office to “reverse this reckless policy of leaving our borders unlocked and open to further risk”.

He said: “Ministers have knowingly left the UK border open and potentially exposed people to new strains of the virus, in direct contradiction of their own Government scientists’ advice.

“This puts the gains of the vaccine at risk, with disastrous consequences for people’s lives.

“The Home Secretary needs to come to Parliament urgently and reverse this reckless policy of leaving our Borders unlocked and open to further risk.”

Additional reporting by PA Media.

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