Surge testing in Kensington finds zero cases of South African variant

By Owen Sheppard, local democracy reporter

Surge testing in North Kensington to detect the South African strain of Covid has finished, after zero new cases were found.

Kensington and Chelsea Council and the Department of Health announced on May 10 that huge numbers of PCR tests would be sent to the W11 area.

This was after a handful of the more contagious variant, first discovered in South Africa, were found in streets near Portobello Road.

But the council announced yesterday that the surge testing effort saw 2,026 people complete a test, the vast majority of whom were North Kensington residents.

Although new Covid cases were found, zero of them were the South African variant.

The variant is also believed to be more resistant to the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Councillor Cem Kemahli, the council’s lead member for health, said: “I’d like to thank everyone who played their part in limiting the spread of Coronavirus by taking part in the enhanced testing for the variant first detected in South Africa.

“It’s vital that we keep on top of Coronavirus and this testing can help identify if a variant of concern is getting into the general population.

“I also want to encourage everyone who is entitled to get a vaccine to get vaccinated as soon as possible and help protect yourself, your family and friends.”

Kensington and Chelsea Council’s infection rate for the seven days leading up to May 20 was 16 cases per 100,000 people in the local population.

This was down from an infection rate of 27 cases per 100,000 in the week before May 10 when the surge testing was deployed.

In the West London borough of Hounslow, where the Indian variant has caused new lockdown restrictions to be put in place, the most recent infection rate was 50 per 100,000.