Volunteer Covid-19 testers going door-to-door in city
TESTING RAMPED UP IN BID TO GET AREA OUT OF LOCKDOWN
THOUSANDS of coronavirus tests are being carried out daily in Leicester in an effort to bring down the infection rate and get lockdown lifted.
At the weekend, more than 3,000 people were tested at Leicester’s drive-through, walk-in and pop-up test centres – and officials say many more will be tested over the coming days as community testing is stepped up.
This week, hundreds of staff and trained volunteers will be calling on people at home to offer them a free test, with mobile testing units in neighbourhoods.
Community testing will initially focus on areas in the north-east of the city, where the number of positive results has been higher and people have reported difficulties in getting to test centres.
Teams of staff from the Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, supported by volunteers, have already been out in the streets around the Merlyn Vaz medical centre in Spinney Hills – and knocking on doors in the Belgrave area.
The testing team will encourage people to go to a nearby mobile testing unit, help them book a test online or order a home testing kit.
Yesterday, a team of about 180 staff and volunteers were on the ground, as community testing was extended into Hamilton.
City council-led teams will be knocking on doors in the area and dropping off home testing kits. The completed tests will be picked up later that day and sent for processing.
All results will be delivered in a text, directly to the individual’s mobile phone, within 48 hours
Door-to-door testing will be rolled out in more areas of the city in the coming days.
City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “The way to get the infection rate down is to find out who’s affected and stop them from passing the virus on – and the way to do that is through increased testing.
“We’ve been upping the testing in care homes and in the wider community – which means people may see mobile testing units in their
neighbourhoods in the coming days, or they may get a knock on the door from one of our volunteers, inviting them to take a free test.
“The response from our communities and those volunteering to support the testing programme has been really positive, and I would like
to thank everyone who’s come forward to get themselves tested – and would urge anyone who’s offered a test to get it done.
“It’s really important we know where the virus is so we can isolate it and stop it from being passed on. The sooner we do that, the sooner we will see the current restrictions on Leicester lifted.”
Voluntary Action Leicestershire, De Montfort University and the University of Leicester have been involved in mobilising more than 350 volunteers to help run the doorto-door testing programme.
The door-to-door testing in neighbourhoods will complement the fixed testing sites at Birstall Park and Ride, Evington leisure centre, Spinney Hill Park, Victoria Park, the Highfields Centre, the Shree Prajapati Community Centre, the Overton Road ball court and the Belgrave Neighbourhood Centre.
Testing is also being increased in care homes in Leicester, with all staff and residents – about 5,000 people in total – being tested this week.
All care home staff are being offered weekly tests, with residents tested every four weeks.
Anyone noticing the first signs of coronavirus – which could include a high temperature, a continuous cough or changes to their sense of taste or smell – must stay at home and arrange a test immediately.
Anyone who has been in contact with someone with symptoms should get themselves tested urgently, too.
Anyone testing positive must selfisolate at home for seven days, or until their symptoms have gone.
Anyone living in the same household as someone who tests positive must stay at home for 14 days to stop the virus from spreading.
To book a test at a testing centre in Leicester, call 119 or go to: