Streatham Green News
News about Streatham from Streatham's Green Party councillors - working to make a better Streatham
Thursday, 11 March 2021
Wednesday, 10 February 2021
Project Eagle - Enhanced Covid-19 testing in parts of Streatham and West Norwood
Following an announcement by the Department of Health and Social Care, yesterday, Lambeth council is asking residents living in specific parts of the south eastern area of the borough (i.e. the area in and around Knight’s Hill ward, but also including small parts of West Norwood and some streets in Streatham) - outlined in red on the map below, to get a Covid-19 test, whether they have symptoms or not, after the South African strain of the virus was detected in the local area.
It is important to stress that this is an isolated case – it is not an outbreak.
The case was not linked to travel to South Africa, so the public
health team are now working intensively with the Department of Health and
Social Care to detect if there are more cases of this variant in the local
area, as part of a ‘surge testing’ programme. You may have seen information on
the media recently, where similar exercises have been carried out in places in
London such as Ealing, Haringey and Merton.
Working in partnership with NHS Test and Trace, every household
living in the specific area over the age of 16 will be strongly encouraged to
take a PCR Covid-19 test over the next week or two, even if they are not
showing symptoms. There will be 2 Mobile Testing Units (MTUs) in the area,
which will be deployed to offer PCR testing, with teams working together to
deliver thousands of home testing kits to local residents.
There is currently no hard evidence to suggest this variant is
more serious than others, or that the existing approved regulated vaccines
would not protect against it. In fact, the companies who have developed the
three currently approved vaccines are already working to find out how they may
need to be adapted to offer very high protection against the emerging variants
of Covid-19. Just like the annual flu jab, this would mean tweaks to the
vaccine would require an annual injection.
In combination with following the lockdown restrictions and continuing to wash hands, keeping socially distanced from others and wearing face coverings, this local testing of about 10,000 people in the area will help to suppress and control the spread of the virus, while enabling a better understanding of the new variant.
Anyone living in the area who needs to
leave home to attend work, school/childcare or undertake caring
responsibilities can still do so in line with the current lockdown rules. This
includes attending any healthcare appointments.
Only a very small number of cases of the South African variant
have been detected in London. Positive tests will be tracked by Public Health
England to identify any further spread of the new variant, enabling a better
understanding of the variant itself and identifying if there are any more cases
of this particular strand of the virus in the area.
If someone tests positive, they must self-isolate immediately
and pass on details of anyone they have been in contact with to NHS Test and
Trace when requested.
This is concerning news for all of us– especially if you live in
the area, live very nearby or if you have visited recently. The aim of Project Eagle is to urgently detect any cases
and help crack down on the new variant.
A map and postcode look up of the affected areas along with further
details on this urgent programme of work can be found on the council’s main
website, here: www.lambeth.gov.uk/enhancedtesting
Monday, 8 February 2021
Can you help? Volunteer opportunities in Lambeth
|
Thursday, 28 January 2021
Families SW London magazine available on line
“Families SW London” continue to help local parents in these difficult times — providing useful information and ways to put parents in touch with local businesses.
Here's the latest issue:
You can sign up to future issues here free:
Friday, 22 January 2021
Spires – The Challenges of the Covid 19 Pandemic.

I was in touch with Nigel Carpenter, CEO of Spires, recently
to find out how they are coping during the lockdown restrictions and this is
what he told me:
"The last few
months have been a challenging time for us all, not least for those without a
place to call home.
We maintained
contact with many of the vulnerable women who use our services. We provided
emotional support to those who were isolated and lonely, and practical support,
by way of regular food parcels, for those at the highest risk from a Covid
infection.
Wednesday, 6 January 2021
National lockdown - please stay safe, stay at home
On Monday evening, the Prime Minister announced a new national lockdown in response to the high rise in the cases of Covid-19 across the UK. This means major restrictions on all of our lives, and a switch back to the “stay at home” requirement that was in place last spring. This is an even more challenging time than the first wave of Covid-19, with more cases of the virus and more people in hospital, we are therefore being asked to stay at home.
The new restrictions allow people to leave home only to:
·
Go to work if you absolutely cannot work from
home
·
Exercise once a day in your local area
· Seek medical care or avoid injury, illness or
risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
·
Care for vulnerable people or to provide or seek
childcare
·
And for a small number of other exemptions
listed at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus
Primary and secondary schools have switched to remote
learning apart from for vulnerable children and the children of key workers and
this is in place until at least February half-term.
Please continue to follow the public health advice:
Wear a mask, stay
at least 2 metres distance from anyone not in your household and wash your
hands regularly.
If you have symptoms, please follow the NHS advice and get a
test. The council has also now rolled out testing for those without symptoms in
sites across Lambeth – you can find out more here.
Stay safe, stay at home and together we will get through the
coming months
Useful contacts:
You can access support for yourself or a vulnerable person,
whether on mental health, finances, employment or support for young people on the
council website: https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19
The Lambeth Larder website has an extensive directory of organisations
and local community groups which can offer help, support & advice: www.lambethlarder.org
If you need to contact the council regarding services, Lambeth
residents can contact the main contact centre on 020 7926 1000. If a face to
face appointment is essential it can be arranged via 020 7926 9094, or by
emailing lambethcustomerservices@lambeth.gov.uk
If someone you know requires urgent support please see the
council’s Coronavirus (Covid-19) get
urgent help for you or someone you know webpage.
The NHS is still open. All residents are urged to continue
to access the NHS services that they may need including urgent and emergency
services. You can access NHS services via the NHS App or www.nhs.uk/health-at-home.
Book a rapid Covid-19 test if you have no symptoms
This article can be found at: https://beta.lambeth.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/book-rapid-covid-19-test-if-you-have-no-symptoms?medium=email&source=GovDelivery
Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 don’t have any
symptoms, but they can still pass it on. You can get a quick free test at
a local site in Lambeth to check if you have Covid-19, with results
usually returned to you within an hour.
These rapid tests are an important part of reducing the
spread of Covid-19 in Lambeth as it will help to identify people who do not
have Covid-19 symptoms but who are infectious and could spread the infection to
others unknowingly. By getting tested and self-isolating if you have
Covid-19, you can save lives and protect the NHS.
Who can get a rapid Covid-19 test
You can get a free rapid Covid-19 test if:
§
You have no Covid-19 symptoms
§
You live or work in Lambeth
§
You are over 18
We are particularly encouraging people who are at higher
risk of being exposed to Covid-19 to get tested. This includes people
who work in certain sectors, such as construction,
education, emergency
services, hospitality, leisure, personal care,
frontline public sector roles, retail and transport. This
list is not exhaustive, and you do not need to prove you work in one of these
roles to get a test.
Who cannot get a rapid Covid-19 test
You cannot get a rapid Covid-19 test if:
§
You have Covid-19 symptoms
§
You are under 18
§
You do not live or work in Lambeth
If you have symptoms you should book a test
through GOV.UK or
by calling 119. The symptoms are a high
temperature (fever), a new continuous cough, and loss or change to
your sense of smell or taste.
When and where to get a test
Currently, you can get a test at the following
locations:
Lambeth Town Hall, open from 9am to 4.20pm
Brixton Windmill, open from 9am to 3.30pm
Brockwell Park, open from 9am to 3.30pm
You can get tested again after 7 days.
How to book a test
You must book a test in advance; we do not accept
walk-in requests.
Book
a Covid-19 test if you have no symptoms
You must not attend your appointment if you have any
symptoms of Covid-19.
You should attend your appointment on time to allow for safe
registration and testing. If you are late, the centre will try to accommodate
you, but we might have to rebook a new appointment if the centre is busy.
What to bring with you to the appointment
You should bring:
§
confirmation of your booking - the
confirmation email on your mobile device or printed out
§
a mobile device to scan a QR or bar code on the
test. There will be devices available if you don’t have your own
§
a face covering (unless you are exempt)
§
you may also want to bring a bottle of water, as
we cannot provide water at the test site.
§
do plan ahead - there are no toilet facilities
at the test site
How the test works
The test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose
and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud. You can do the swab
yourself, but there will be trained staff available if you need
support. You can watch a video for a
detailed explanation of the procedure.
Once you have finished, the swab will be processed and
analysed. Once the test is done, the swab is discarded.
The rapid test is called a ‘lateral flow test’ -
it does not need to be sent away to a lab and provides results very quickly,
within an hour. More information about how
Lateral Flow tests work, their safety and
the validation process which they were subject to by Public Health
England and scientists from Oxford University before being approved
for use across the country, is available on the Public
Health England website.
Getting your test results
§
Results will be sent to you the same
day via text message and/or email using the contact details you provided
when booking your appointment.
§
The results are usually available within an hour
– sometimes as fast as 30 minutes.
§
You do not need to self-isolate whilst waiting
for the test results, unless you develop symptoms of Covid-19.
If you get a positive result
You must self-isolate immediately and book another test with
the national testing service. This is called a ‘PCR test’ and it will be
analysed by a lab to confirm the result of your first, rapid test.
To book a test, visit GOV.UK or call
119.
If you are out or at work when you get your result please
make your way home. Avoid using public transport if possible. If you are at
work please inform your line manager immediately so that they can initiate
their organisation's risk management plan – cleaning your work station for
example.
Until the results of the second test are known, you and your
household should self-isolate. Full
guidance on how to self-isolate is available
on GOV.UK.
You might be eligible for support to self-isolate
Self-isolating is essential to preventing the spread of
Covid-19 in the community. The government has made a £500
support package available for eligible people.
If you get a negative result
You do not need to self-isolate, unless you have
developed Covid-19 symptoms, live with someone who has tested positive for
Covid-19 or have been asked to self-isolate by NHS test and trace.
However, a negative result does not fully rule out Covid-19
infection as there can sometimes be false negative lateral flow tests. This
means you could still have the infection, but the test didn’t pick it up. This
can happen because these tests only turn positive when there is a lot
of virus growing in your nose and throat.
This means that even after a negative
test, to protect yourself and others, you must keep following
the current
restrictions and remember: Hands. Face. Space.
Hands – wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and
water often, and as soon as you get home - use hand sanitiser gel if soap and
water are not available.
Face – wear a face-covering in indoor settings where
social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact
with people you do not normally meet.
Space – stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do
not live with, or who is not in your support bubble.
You cannot purchase these tests
The UK Government has been purchasing testing kits for the
public to use at approved local sites. The kits are not currently available to
purchase on the market.
The tests we provide at our testing sites are totally free
of charge.