MP calls for university to have its own Covid testing
DEDICATED CENTRE FOR STUDENTS
HULL North MP Diana Johnson says she wants to see the University of Hull set up its own coronavirus testing facilities for students.
She believes a dedicated testing centre run by the university would be better than having to rely on existing contractor-run test hubs and the “failing” national test and trace system.
Ms Johnson said mass testing of students on the Cottingham Road campus, including the identification of asymptomatic cases, could give a more accurate picture of infection rates.
The city has been classed in the lowest of tier of the new three-tier national system, which comes into force across England today.
Hull’s Tier 1 status contrasts sharply with other local authority areas with similiar high levels of social deprivation such as Knowsley and Liverpool, which are in Tier 3 as part of the Liverpool city-region where infection rates are six times higher than here.
A new local testing facility was opened in Inglemire Avenue in a car park owned by the university last month, but it is not specifically aimed at students.
Instead, it is intended for the general public and operates mainly on a pre-booking system. Run by private firm G4S, the Inglemire Avenue site is in addition to a similar contractor-run facility established some months ago at the Humber Bridge car park.
Ms Johnson raised the issue in a question to Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week, highlighting concerns over the transmission of the virus from younger people to more vulnerable elderly members of the community.
Normally, there are more than 16,000 students at the university during the academic year. The campus is also home to around 2,500 staff.
Ms Johnson said other universities, such as the University of East Anglia and Cambridge University, had started mass testing of their own students.
Mr Johnson said he would find out if there is an obstacle to university bosses in Hull setting up similar arrangements. He added: “There is no reason, in principle, why that university should not be testing in the way that other universities are in the way she describes are doing.”
A spokesperson for the University of Hull said: “The location of the Inglemire Lane testing centre means students living on our university campus along with staff currently working on site should have quick access to a Covid-19 test should they either display symptoms or are notified they may have had close contact with someone with the virus.
“As a university, we have a broad range of measures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of our community.
“Across our campus we have introduced one-way systems, hand sanitiser stations, are ensuring regular thorough cleaning of all high-touch points and have strict face covering guidance in place across campus.”