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One of the first coronavirus test centres in Kent for people without symptoms will open in a converted social club on the Isle of Sheppey.
Targeted asymptomatic testing organised by Kent County Council begins tomorrow (Friday) in the back hall of the Sheerness East Working Men's Club in Queenborough Road, Halfway, at the heart of what has become England's number one Covid hotspot.
Pool tables and darts boards have made way for cubicles in the latest battle against the pandemic which has ironically led to the closure of the club for its members.
It's new lease of life is welcome news for the Island's population of nearly 40,000 although many argue it should have come sooner as neighbouring Medway - number two in the covid charts - has had four sites operating since last week.
Kent's director of public health Andrew Scott-Clark said: "This is a huge logistical exercise for us. We are covering a huge geographic area. We have been planning for a number of weeks and were given the go-ahead from the government last Friday.
"At the same time as managing the response to the virus right across the county our organisation is also planning and managing the EU exit."
Key workers and their families will be tested first and have already been sent their invitations.
Mr Scott-Clark said: "Once we see the infection numbers starting to drop we will ask members of the public to come in and we will make sure the booking system is available so people know how to book."
But he stressed: "It is very important everybody abides by the rules. We have seen higher infection rates and it is concerning. We are worried not only now but as we come through Christmas into the winter months of January and February. We are taking action now to try to control the virus and start reducing those numbers."
He added: “As many as one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.
"We want to identity as many positive cases as possible, especially those who may not have symptoms and are unknowingly transmitting the virus, so we can break the chain of transmission.
"This is vitally important to stop Covid-19 from spreading in the community, particularly to people who could become very sick if they catch the virus.”
Both he and KCC leader Roger Gough agreed to be tested today along with Swale council's health spokesman Angela Harrison (Lab, Sheerness) as staff learned the ropes.
She said: "You can't talk about it if you don't know what it is like. But I had to wipe the tears away from my face. I kept gagging. You have to put the swap right to the back of your throat and then use the same swab to stick up your nose."
She also highlighted the need of a smart phone to log on to the government's test site. Miss Harrison, 60, does not own a smart phone.
She said: "I had to go back half-an-hour later to get my results but a lot of elderly people on Sheppey without smart phones won't be invited to have the test. That concerns me."
She tested negative.
The normally well-used club, which boasts its own football, pool, darts and table tennis teams and hosted a rock 'n' roll dance club, organ club, weddings and birthday parties in pre-pandemic days has remained eerily quiet in recent weeks.
Now a team of testers are moving in. Many have been drawn from the Island after an appeal for help on social media.
Among them is Matt Brown, chairman of Sheerness Town Council. He said: "Work has been quiet so I applied to help. I will be doing 12-hour shifts."
Doors open at 9am after staff have their own daily test. Cleaners move in around 9pm to give the hall and 11 booths a thorough deep clean.
Paula Smith who runs the club said: "KCC only confirmed it wanted the hall on Saturday. Since then workers have been in every day building the booths. We have been on hand to provide teas and coffees."
She said the club wasn't charging for its use. She said: "We are doing this for the community although they have upgraded our boiler as the water wasn't hot enough."
The club was shut from March to July in the first lockdown and has been closed again since November.
Asymptomatic testing is to find people who don’t have symptoms but might be unknowingly spreading the virus.
They will be given a "lateral flow swab test" and can expect a result within 30 minutes. If positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days and take a PCR test to confirm the result.
Those who are negative must still observe social distancing guidelines, wear a mask in public and regularly wash their hands.
KCC leader Roger Gough said: "We have focussed the first two centres on areas with the greatest prevalence of cases. It is a very concerning figure which has been high for a long time.
"This is one of a number of measures we are using to try to break the cycle before the vaccinations start taking effect. There is no one silver bullet."
He said it was essential everyone still complied with social distancing, wore face masks and cleaned hands. "I appeal to all residents to use good sense. The rules are there for a purpose."
Sheppey was also one of the places to introduce coronavirus vaccinations for the over-80s on Tuesday.
Another site was opened at Ramsgate Port. Both are in addition to test sites for people with symptoms which are run by the Department of Health and Social Care. Mr Scott-Clark says other sites will be rolled out across Kent later. It is expected the Halfway site will stay 'live' for six weeks.
Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “We’ve already come so far since first setting up a national testing programme at an unprecedented pace to help counter Covid-19, but we continue to strive to go further, faster.
“Roughly one in three people have the virus without symptoms so could be spreading the disease without knowing it. Broadening testing to identify those showing no symptoms will mean finding positive cases more quickly, and break chains of transmission.
“I’m delighted that Kent County Council and Swale Borough Council are working with us roll out community testing in Sheppey, and I look forward to seeing the results.”
Baroness Dido Harding, interim executive chairman of the National Institute for Health Protection, said: “NHS Test and Trace continues to play a leading role in the fight against Covid-19. Increased community testing is a vital additional tool at our disposal to help identify those who are infected and infectious, but unaware that they might be spreading the disease.
“The work of Kent County Council and Swale Borough Council in Sheppey will be essential in driving down transmission rates. I urge all those living in areas where community testing is offered to come forward and get tested.”
Among those who was given a test during the dry run today was Kent On Line reporter John Nurden who lives on Sheppey.
He said: "Signing up to the Government's web site proved a tad tricky at first. You need a smart phone to take a photo of a QR (quick response) bar code but my registration ended abruptly after I was asked if I was a robot and I failed to respond quick enough."
A helper then took over and signed him in using her phone.
He said: "Once in a booth I was given a swab and instructions to tickle both sides of my tonsils, which caused me to gag, and then to put the swab up my nose. It was an odd experience but quite painless."
Within 30 minutes he had his result pinged to his phone - negative.
