Council Leader Richard Watts

ISLINGTON’S council leader is demanding a Covid test centre is set up in the borough as people continue to struggle to get swabbed for the virus.

Councillor Richard Watts blamed “red tape and delay” in government for obstructing repeated pleas for a site to be established in Islington.

The council has offered the car-park in the Sobell Centre, Holloway, as a potential space.

“Too many local people in Islington can’t get a test, are waiting too long or being sent hundreds of miles away,” said Cllr Watts.

His frustration followed a series of reports from residents that they are having to wait days for a test and then the results; a delay during which they must self-isolate at home not knowing if they have seasonal snivels or the coronavirus.

And there were warnings this week that the government’s failure to provide quick testing could have a devastating impact on trying to restart children’s education.

A fortnight into the big return to class and cases have emerged in two schools.

Cllr Watts said: “Our top priority remains keeping local people safe, but to do that, we need a local testing centre – we have been calling for this for some time and have offered the car park at Sobel Leisure Centre as a site. At every turn, we have run into red tape and delay at the hands of the government.”

Islington’s director of public health Dr Julie Billett suggested at a council meeting in Camden last week – she covers both boroughs – that there were fewer tests available in areas of the UK which are not considered outbreak priorities.

“This is an issue that is all about lab capacity. The available capacity is being prioritised to support local authorities with higher incidence rates and are responding to outbreaks,” she told the meeting.

“Areas like Camden, where we have a lower incidence rate, are seen as lower priority. Therefore the appointment slots are less and less available to our residents.”

Although she was answering a question about Camden, Islington ranks as the lowest amongst all London boroughs for its cumulative rate of cases per 100,000 population, making up less than 2 per cent of London’s total cases, according to council data.

But the rates are rising and people must still get tested if they suspect they have the coronavirus. The main signs to look out for are a cough, a feverish high temperature and a sudden loss of taste or smell.

A department for health and social care spokesman said: “Thousands of tests are taking place every day across dozens of testing sites in London, including in neighbouring boroughs to Islington.

“We are expanding testing capacity further bringing in new labs that can process tens of thousands more tests a day and working with councils, including Islington Council, to identify additional testing sites.”

At least two schools have had confirmed cases of Covid-19 while pupils and staff are having to self-isolate in several others while tests and results are sought, the Tribune understands.

A student from the City of London Academy Highbury Grove has tested positive for the virus. Members of the National Education Union (NEU) working at St Aloysius College, in Hornsey Lane, Archway, reported there was also a positive case there.

A spokesman for Islington NEU said: “There are half a dozen or so schools where there is either staff or students who are having to self-isolate.

We have not had complaints from mem­bers. Our impression is schools are working hard to accommodate the problems created by the virus.

We clearly have issues with the government’s approach. They have had months to sort out the testing system and it is frankly a mess.

“Really we need asymptomatic testing of staff as well as those with symptoms.”

The government announced this month that 10 tests were to be given out to each school. Now the Department for Education has told schools they could call a hotline and order more.

A spokeswoman for Highbury Grove said: “One student has tested positive for COVID-19 and we sincerely wish them a speedy recovery.

“The school has followed all government advice and we have contacted pupils and staff who may have come into contact with the student.”

St Aloysius College was approached for comment but directed us to the council.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson said: “I do not underestimate the work staff have done to put in place the protective measures required to reduce the risk of transmission.

“But as the UK’s chief medical officers have already made clear, the risk of catching coronavirus at school is low, meaning that the wider risks to children being out of school is, in fact, far greater.”

An Islington council spokesman said : “In common with many other local authorities, we are aware of a small number of confirmed Covid cases in our family of schools, and are working with them to ensure appropriate measures are taken. We will continue to closely monitor the situation.”