Covid-19: South Africa variant not found in test town Broxbourne yet

Firefighters have been delivering tests door-to-door in Broxbourne

No new cases of the South Africa Covid variant have been found in a town where 10,000 adults were urged to take a test.

People in the EN10 postcode of Broxbourne in Hertfordshire were asked to get tested between 2 and 10 February after cases of the variant emerged.

Public health director Jim McManus said about 90% of residents had been tested.

"We haven't found any cases of the South African variant yet which is really good news," he said.

Last week, the government announced all adults in that area should be tested after "an isolated number of cases" of the variant were detected.

Testing kits were handed out door-to-door and residents were also able to visit mobile-testing centres, a community centre and a library.

Hertfordshire County Council said 92 tests completed since the start of the project were Covid-19 positive.

None of those had yet been found to have the South Africa variant, although further laboratory tests were ongoing and could take several more days, it added.

• South Africa variant: Urgent Covid testing after community cases found

• Door-to-door Covid test town residents 'phenomenal'

• South Africa coronavirus variant: What is the risk?

The authority said door-to-door activity finished on Wednesday but any EN10 resident yet to be tested could still book a test online.

Prof Jim McManus told a BBC East live debate residents had been "absolutely fantastic".

He said the authority was also testing sewage and wastewater across the region to look at viral variants. If a South Africa variant case came in, it would go to "the top of the tree for contact tracing".

He also urged everybody in the county to continue to follow the rules as people had "become far too lax as a society in the last year".

"Be focused on the rules and not frightened of this variant because you do have it within your power to stop this thing spreading," he said.

Find BBC News: East of England on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you have a story suggestion email [e-mail]