The COVID-19 testing system ‘isn’t smart enough’ to recognise the water between the Isle of Wight and the mainland, admits the Island’s public health boss.
Simon Bryant, the Isle of Wight’s director of public health, said the testing capacity nationally was being increased which should hopefully reduce those being offered tests on the Island, with a 75-mile cap placed on the distance people should travel.
Mr Bryant was speaking at a corporate scrutiny committee meeting of the Isle of Wight Council, last night, where Councillor Richard Hollis said he had been offered the nearest test available in Lewisham but did not take it.
Mr Bryant said:
“The system isn’t smart enough to be able to manage a piece of water, it doesn’t see it as anything different.
“We have done a lot of work with the ferries to discourage travel both ways because it is really not appropriate for people to travel with symptoms to the Island and from the Island for tests.”
Issues surrounding the availability of COVID-19 tests have been nationwide, with some people in the south being told to go as far as to Scotland for a test, as lab capacity has struggled to keep up with the demand.
People from the mainland have been offered a test at Newclose Cricket Ground (the Island’s testing centre) and Island residents have been told to travel to a testing centre on the mainland.
Mr Bryant also stressed the importance of only having a test if you are showing symptoms of COVID-19 as a lot of people ‘are being tested who do not need to be tested for Covid’. Symptoms of the virus are a persistent cough, high temperature and the loss of taste or smell.
Despite the Island having a ‘very low’ rate of cases, Mr Bryant is still reminding people not to be complacent as case numbers are steadily rising.
The current number of confirmed coronavirus cases on the Island is 484 — with 7 cases confirmed so far in the month, up until 5th October.
Done a lot of work with the ferries to discourage travel, that’s a laugh, they don’t care who gets on as long as they pay.
It’s not up to the App, it is up to the idiots who arrange the tests.
They probably understand the Channel but not the Solent
Even the app refuses to use ferry!
Worth it’s weight in gold NOT!
Not even bothered to download it, nor will I waste of memory space.
We are all likely to catch this by the end of Winter whether you have an ‘app’ or not.
Just something for the gadget freaks to play
We keep being told not to have a test if we don’t have symptoms then we hear that nearly 800 people at Northumbria University were found positive at the weekend and only 78 had symptoms. I cant believe that the other 700 just decided to get tested against the rules, they must have been told to be tested. So how did that happen?
Propaganda at best. The PCR test is not suitable for covid and the inventor, Kary B. Mullis, says that.
Still reminds me of the Comedy series called “Yes Minister”
When will this constant fiasco ever end?
Well it was cheap at…£10, 000,000, 000.
What do you expect?
Surely the answer is to remove the Island test centre from the nationwide list, and publicise heavily on the Island for Islanders to call a separate number/weblink to book local IOW tests rather than use the national booking system.
The answer is to turn off your mainstream news…would you even know that there was such a deadly virus out there without it ?
Follow the money…Cummings family is involved with the app…more about surveillance than your safety.
Surely if you’re told to go to mainland or vice versus you would firstly question it? I certainly wouldn’t merrily get in my car and pay a fortune to get on the ferry when I knew there was a test centre closer to me. Do you have to go to the one they tell you to or can you change a booking? Common sense should prevail surely?
It isn’t just the app – how many times have you been told that the nearest whatever it is that you wnat is in New Milton or Bognor?