Surge testing to be deployed in Lambeth to combat Delta variant
Surge testing will begin in Lambeth tomorrow amid a rise in cases of the Delta variant of Covid-19.
Surge testing will start on Sunday in Clapham, Brixton, Stockwell, West Norwood and Vauxhall following a rise in confirmed cases of the variant first found in India.
All the confirmed cases have been instructed to self-isolate and their contacts have been identified.
Local authorities have urged everyone who lives or works in the area to take a Covid-19 PCR test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.
Surge testing will also commence tomorrow in Cumbria, also following an increase in the number of confirmed cases of the Delta variant.
Yesterday 10,476 people tested positive for Covid-19 in the 24 hours beforehand while 11 people died within 28 days of a positive test.
42.4 million people in the UK have now had a first Covid jab, while 30 million have had two doses of a vaccine, giving them maximum protection against the virus.
The Delta variant now accounts for 99 per cent of new Covid-19 cases in the UK, according to Public Health England data.