'Used' Covid-19 test kits delivered to Walsall family

Two tests delivered to Andy Witton's home appeared to have been used, it was claimed

A father says it's a "disgrace" that coronavirus testing kits, that apparently had been used, were delivered to his home.

Community testing is being carried out in Walsall, following the discovery of the South African variant of the virus.

Andy Witton claimed two out of five tests delivered to his home appeared to have been used.

Walsall Council said "this is the first indication anything may have not gone to plan".

Last week, residents in the WS2 postcode area were urged to get tested.

Mr Witton said his partner, Tracy Patel, opened the first one on Monday.

He added: "Because it was sealed, we thought well obviously it's sealed, open it up, because we ain't never done a test before.

"Then you had the bottle, with the swab inside... we was about to take the top off when my daughter come in and she said 'dad, they've been used'.

"I just think it's a disgrace, I think (an) absolute disgrace."

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Andy Witton said the tests were delivered on Monday

Walsall Council said more than 3,700 tests had been distributed over seven days and their teams were working "to strict protocols" to ensure delivering and collecting kits was "carried out safely".

Volunteers were often approached in the street with people handing them completed tests and "therefore it is possible" two tests "may inadvertently have been reissued", the council said.

But it added "all completed tests are boxed, and are sealed in two clinical plastic bags, so any risk of transmission is very low".

The council said it had now changed its procedures "ensuring that all completed tests are now immediately handed to the support vehicle".

The community support for the team's efforts had been "widely praised", the council added.

Tests have been delivered in homes in Walsall

Elsewhere in the West Midlands region, there is testing for the South African variant in Birmingham and Worcestershire.

Used coronavirus swab tests were accidentally given out to households in Birmingham, council officials said in October.

The city council there said about 25 kits had been given out by mistake in Selly Oak, but the error was quickly realised and there was no evidence of cross-contamination.

The first door-to-door testing in Birmingham since October started on Tuesday as part of Operation Eagle, to find cases of the South African variant, in Frankley.

The city's director of public health, Dr Justin Varney, told a council meeting the set-up was now being used as best practice for other areas.

There were different sites for new and used swabs, the authority said.

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