Surge testing to be deployed in Reading and Wokingham

Additional testing is being offered in the RG1 3, RG1 5, RG1 6 and RG1 7 postcodes in Reading and in the Bulmershe and Whitegates, Evendons, Norreys, and Wescott areas of Wokingham.

This surge testing is being deployed following the identification of a small number of confirmed cases of the Delta variant first identified in India. All the confirmed cases have been contacted and instructed to self-isolate and their contacts have been identified.

Everyone aged 12 and above who lives or works in these areas is strongly encouraged to take a coronavirus (COVID-19) PCR test, whether they are showing symptoms or not.

Enhanced contact tracing will be used for individuals testing positive with a variant of concern (VOC). This is where contact tracers look back over an extended period to determine the route of transmission.

By using PCR testing, positive results are sent for genomic sequencing at specialist laboratories, helping us to identify COVID-19 cases with a variant of concern and then prevent their spread.

If you have symptoms you should book a free test online or by phone. You can then go to a testing site or have a kit sent to your home. If you have no symptoms, you should visit your local authority’s website for more information: https://www.reading.gov.uk/ or https://www.wokingham.gov.uk/

People in this area should continue to make use of free twice-weekly rapid tests, commonly known as lateral flow devices, alongside the PCR test as part of surge testing.