It’s been a year since asymptomatic testing started in Warwickshire with the first lateral flow test site opening to the public - 7 December 2020 - in Water Orton. And what a year it’s been!
In total six public test sites were set up to test people without symptoms of COVID-19 using lateral flow tests. The sites were situated in Water Orton, Stratford, Rugby, Leamington, Bedworth and Nuneaton. At the peak of the pandemic, we employed 277 staff at the centres, some of whom were redeployed Warwickshire County Council employees and officers from the fire and rescue service. We also had great support from our community partners at WCAVA, with 366 of their volunteers stepping up to support their community by welcoming people to our test sites and giving out information.
Since December 2020, Warwickshire’s lateral flow testing mechanisms have completed and given out 318,409 test kits to people without symptoms of COVID-19. 213,348 lateral flow tests have been completed in person at our test sites right cross the county, contributing to the identification of 1,410 positive cases in total. That’s 1,410 identified cases isolated to help keep Warwickshire communities safer.
In May 2020, our team joined with local partners to carry out surge testing in Nuneaton, a huge undertaking in a very short timescale. They knocked on 5,921 doors, distributing over 24,000 PCR test kits to residents including to local community venues, schools and workplaces to help identify cases of the delta variant. This was a huge collaborative effort working with community groups and faith leaders to ensure that we reached those within the targeted area.
Throughout the pandemic, our mobile testing vehicle has also played a key role visiting locations across the county. Our staff have handed out 90,065 LFT test kits in areas where cases had increased. Our 30 community collect sites across the county have also been instrumental in increasing testing rates, issuing 14,996 test kits so far this year. That’s a total of 105,061 boxes of home testing kits handed out in Warwickshire.
Dr Shade Agboola, Director of Public Health Warwickshire said: “The pandemic has had a huge impact on Warwickshire communities and Public Health Warwickshire have been working tirelessly throughout with a range of partners to ensure that communities had access to testing. I would like to thank everyone involved in the last year who has helped to make testing a huge success in the county. That includes those setting up the test sites, organising staffing, distributing test kits, sourcing community locations for delivering services and most of all, those carrying out the testing. We couldn’t have done it without you!
“I would also like to thank the communities of Warwickshire for stepping up and getting tested. Testing remains a key tool in our armoury against the fight against COVID-19 and I would like that to continue.
“Finally, I would urge everyone to take the opportunity to ensure they have had their flu and COVID-19 vaccinations - with an expanded vaccination programme we are hoping to see many more people come forward to get protected. This is key to reducing the spread of the virus in Warwickshire communities.”
Councillor Margaret Bell, Portfolio Holder for Health and Social Care said: “The last year has been difficult, but testing has played a key role in keeping reducing cases of COVID-19. I am very proud of our staff and volunteers for everything they have done working tirelessly to ensure that residents could access testing in a COVID safe way. I’d also like to thank all our partners, for allowing us to use their sites to make it easier for us to deliver testing locally.
I have no doubt that our staff have played a key role in the fight against COVID-19 in the last year and for that I am immensely proud of everything they have achieved.
“Testing still remains key in Warwickshire and with test kits more accessible now than ever before, I would urge Warwickshire residents to continue with twice weekly testing, especially as we move into the festive period where families and friends will be coming together to spend time with the ones they love.”
Testing remains available to all Warwickshire residents through our mobile testing service, 30 community collect sites, over 100 pharmacies, and via ordering test kits online. To find out more visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/covidtesting
Watch Dr Shade Agboola, Warwickshire's Director of Public Health, look back on One Year of LFT Testing in Warwickshire: