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Coronavirus

World-beating test and trace system!

(87 Posts)
Luckygirl Tue 15-Sep-20 15:55:50

My DD has just had to do a 100 mile round trip to have a test as she has a high temperature - the children have had colds since returning to school so we hope that this is all it is. It is perfectly ridiculous. The test centre in our nearest town has been closed down.

And her OH has to stay off work on no pay until the result comes back.

Neither is a great incentive to play by the rules.

NotSpaghetti Tue 15-Sep-20 16:06:33

No. It's not significantly improved then. I was offered the Isle of Wight -
4 and a half hours each way plus a sea crossing!

NotSpaghetti Tue 15-Sep-20 16:07:45

Well... I suppose 100 mile round trip is better than my option!

AGAA4 Tue 15-Sep-20 16:12:55

My grandson became ill last Friday with Covid symptoms. My son was told that no tests were available anywhere and it could be a week or more before he could have one.
This means that his brother and all the other children he has been in contact with have to isolate. My son also.
World Beating indeed!

AGAA4 Tue 15-Sep-20 16:16:50

I also think it isn't safe to send people who have to drive and are feeling ill on long journeys.

Whitewavemark2 Tue 15-Sep-20 16:19:44

I wonder if it going to become a lorry park luckygirl?

www.thelondoneconomic.com/politics/covid-testing-centre-in-kent-shut-down-to-make-way-for-brexit-lorry-park/15/09/

Whitewavemark2 Tue 15-Sep-20 16:20:22

AGAA4

I also think it isn't safe to send people who have to drive and are feeling ill on long journeys.

Apart from the fact they will be spreading the virus.

Ladyleftfieldlover Tue 15-Sep-20 16:24:20

World beating etc., etc... what a load of nonsense. Johnson and his gang really are trying to copy their little friend, trump in the lying stakes, aren’t they? Unbelievable. At least the death rate seems to be reducing, which is more to do with medical staff than the government.

lilypollen Tue 15-Sep-20 16:39:21

Total shambles, all this "get a test if you have symptoms garbage". 4 year old GS, temperature and nausea yesterday. Son spent the evening and today on the totally unfit for purpose system and of course no tests anywhere. Little wonder that a lot of people ignore minor symptoms and then spread the virus.

Luckygirl Tue 15-Sep-20 17:20:56

NotSpaghetti - you couldn't make it up!

growstuff Tue 15-Sep-20 17:48:41

What an absolute farce!

Hancock again accused people who aren't eligible for wanting tests, but there is no evidence for that, but he had to blame somebody! He had the nerve to suggest people will always take something for free!!

He admitted this afternoon that they knew demand would rise when schools returned and people started going back to work in the office. So why didn't they plan for that?

What happened to the priority for schools? Pupils and their families can't get tests, so are staying at home.

Parsley3 Tue 15-Sep-20 19:03:44

I heard Hancock’s ridiculous remark about the test being unnecessarily requested because it is free. Does he realise how many people he is insulting?

varian Tue 15-Sep-20 19:07:51

Hancock must be one of the most incompetent of the useless cabinet ministers we currently have. He makes Jeremy Hunt look like a model of efficiency!

Froglady Wed 16-Sep-20 09:50:40

Where I live in Blackburn we have a few testing places and one very near to where I live. This has about 15 staff operating it and it is never busy. Sometimes I go past and there's no-one there at all waiting for a test. It's both a walk-in and drive in but you still need an appointment. I don't understand why this centre is so underused. It's perfectly placed for the town centre and bus station. Whether people make appointments but then don't attend for them. It just seems so crazy that people have to travel miles for tests when there's a centre here not being used very much.

polnan Wed 16-Sep-20 10:01:31

That is what I so hate ,, this Government lying,, no way to say that politely,, that is how bad their lying is.

ayse Wed 16-Sep-20 10:04:11

If I need a test it will have to be via public transport unless they can send me one as I rarely have access to car. Driving with a fever is not to be recommended.

It’s a farce. What gross incompetence. No wonder our young people are taking plenty of no notice as are some older folk. It makes a mockery of all our caring staff be they NHS or Carers.

Makes me shudder at what else is in store for our poor country.

ayse Wed 16-Sep-20 10:05:30

I wonder if people are only being directed to private and not public test centres? I wouldn’t put anything past this shambles of a government!

chicken Wed 16-Sep-20 10:06:07

A friend has just rung me to ask if I've received a letter from the Govt. (I haven't) saying that she will receive a Covid test by post which she has to use, return and then answer a questionnaire. This must be a random sampling as she is perfectly well and has never asked for a Covid test. It seems daft to be doing this when there are so many sick people crying out to be tested.

sazz1 Wed 16-Sep-20 10:14:14

DGS age 12 and DD (not his mum) both had same symptoms high temperature 102 nausea sore throat dry cough last Friday. DGS has severe asthma hospitalised on oxygen during flare ups and DD is a key worker. Both got appointments 32 miles round trip for DGS and 70 miles round trip for DD who had to drive with high temperature as she's a single parent. Both tests took 48 hours for results and both Negative. Both better now.
A lot of viruses around not all are covid19, but anyone vulnerable or keyworkers should be high priority imo. This week it's obviously much worse as testing labs are overloaded.

nipsmum Wed 16-Sep-20 10:17:24

I don't think we have the same problems here in Scotland. But every child has had usual cold symptoms since our schools went back 4 weeks ago

Charleygirl5 Wed 16-Sep-20 10:19:45

There is no end to their incompetence. We cannot all be chauffeur-driven 100 + miles away.

cangran Wed 16-Sep-20 10:31:07

chicken

A friend has just rung me to ask if I've received a letter from the Govt. (I haven't) saying that she will receive a Covid test by post which she has to use, return and then answer a questionnaire. This must be a random sampling as she is perfectly well and has never asked for a Covid test. It seems daft to be doing this when there are so many sick people crying out to be tested.

This will likely part of the nhs / Imperial College random sample testing study (I've done one) to enable better predicting of areas where Covid-19 is growing and so (in theory at least!), be better prepared.

2420mags Wed 16-Sep-20 10:34:00

Sunday both 3 out of 5 of the staff that work for my husbund have children who have spiked temps and developed coughs. Eventually they got appointments for testing for today. They have 1 member of staff left - my husband and his partner are both over 65 and worked throughout the pandemic as they are nhs dentists. So they are nursing for each other trying to provide a service and support their staff who in at least one is the only salary supporting the family due to redundancy of her partner. By the time they get the results it will be Thursday at the earliest. So test only tells you that at this point don't have the virus. However next Sunday it could all start again.

namo Wed 16-Sep-20 10:35:45

Is it because some labs now have lack of basic equipment for testing? Also I think one lab was understaffed because the university and academic people had left to return to their other jobs. We can only guess because there is distinct lack of honesty by government. They obviously don’t want to appear incompetent.

Nannan2 Wed 16-Sep-20 10:44:26

If you click 'have no access to car' or what ever it is, you CAN get one sent in post, takes maybe 2days to arrive, you do it yourself, which provided you do it properly then takes up to 3days to get result(ours 4 as it returned on a friday)-had to put in a priority post box, which luckily for us is our local one though.