Birmingham confirms case of South African strain as testing ramped up
Birmingham has become the latest part of the UK to confirm that a case of the South African variant of coronavirus.
Additional testing is now being made available in an effort to stop the spread of the virus, the City Council confirmed.
Testing will be ramped up in the Frankley Great Park ward and a specific area in south Northfield, where a case of the variant first identified in South Africa was found. Residents in the area are being strongly encouraged to get a test.
Dr Justin Varney, director of public health for the council, said: ‘This new variant from South Africa presents a new risk so it is essential that all adults in the affected areas takes up this offer of testing to help us contain the spread quickly.
‘People who are essential workers and have to leave home to work at the moment should access testing as soon as possible to minimise the risk of spreading the virus in their workplace, but they can continue to attend work if it is unavoidable.’
He continued: ‘The majority of us should be working from home and only leaving home for the essential reasons set out in the current guidelines.’
The variant is thought to be more infectious, however experts do not believe it causes more severe illness.
It comes after residents of the West Midlands were warned earlier this week that the strain could already be spreading around the region, following a positive case in Walsall.
The area is the latest to detect the South African variant, which has also been found in Wales.
In a statement, Birmingham City Council added: ‘The council is working closely with Public Health England and the national NHS Track and Trace team to support measures to curb any potential spread of this variant; this will include significantly increasing the testing offer in a targeted way.
‘Residents over the age of 18, who are living or working in Frankley Great Park ward and the part of south Northfield between Frankley and the A38, since 1 January 2021 are strongly encouraged to take a COVID-19 test this week, even if they are not showing symptoms.’
Meanwhile, the emergence of the variant in the seaside town of Southport, Merseyside, on Wednesday, caused ‘shock, concern and confusion’, a councillor said as testing of 10,000 residents got under way.
Greg Myers said one case of the strain had been found in the town’s Norwood ward.
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