Testing centre staff expect 1,000 people through gates
PEOPLE working at a coronavirus testing centre have been told to expect 1,000 people a day.
The centre, at the Birstall park and ride site, opened last week but one employee who has already walked out said they felt unsafe.
Another described it as disorganised and said PPE was available but “limited”.
Both said they were not interviewed, or asked if they had been ill before they started working there.
One said: “I was told none of us would be tested because we’ve all worked here now and if one of us ended up getting a positive result, the whole thing would have to be shut down.”
The youngster, who said they are earning £10 an hour, added: “They talk about social distancing but it’s not really being enforced.
“I know it’s not been up and running for long but things aren’t very organised.
“There’s no set break times, the hours keep changing and the shifts are long but so far not very busy.
“We’ve been told to expect 1,000 people here today and asked to work 7am to 7pm.
“But there were only about 70 people who turned up on Thursday (the centre’s first day).”
The former takeaway worker said employees are offered a free lunch of sandwiches, crisps, a chocolate bar and a bottle of water.
The employee said their job is to read instructions on how to use the test out to people over the phone as they arrive on site, before handing a colleague a testing kit through a window.
The colleague – in full PPE – then passes the test to the motorist through the car window.
The driver swabs their own mouth and nose before driving on to a different area where they leave the completed test.
Another worker, who only stayed on site for a day, said: “Social distancing didn’t exist. We were not asked anything about unwell ourselves.
“People were working in areas where it was impossible to stay two metres away from one another and the canteen was very small.
“I wanted to do my bit for the community in the battle against the virus – that’s why I signed up – but it wasn’t safe so I haven’t been back.”
Alex Lever, operations director for G4S facilities management, which is managing the site, said: “The safety and well-being of our employees is our top priority and we place great emphasis on the importance of social distancing at all our sites.
“We reinforce this message in our daily briefings and encourage people if we’d been to ensure colleagues and others on site follow these rules.
“We do not put people into working environments where they are unable to follow these rules.
“All PPE is provided in line with advice from the Department of Health. All staff are encouraged to raise any concerns they may have at our daily briefings or privately with their line manager.”
A G4S spokesman said: “All staff are told before joining and while they are working that if they feel unwell or display symptoms of Covid-19 they must not come to site, but register online for a test.”
The Department of Health and Social Care said figures for the number of tests carried out on individual sites would not be provided.
Health bosses said further testing centres will be made available in line with local demand.
A spokesman for the area’s three clinical commissioning groups, said: “This means people’s appointments could be at Birstall park and ride or at other local sites.”
Dr Nick Glover, the clinical lead for the testing programme for the clinical commissioning groups in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland said: “Essential workers can now use the test facility.
“We’d like any essential workers, who are already self-isolating because they, or someone they live with, are in the first three days of developing symptoms, to refer themselves for a test straight away.
“They can do this either through their employer or by referring themselves.”