MORE THAN 20,000 came forward for surge testing over the last fortnight, in a bid to track the Delta variant in Wokingham borough.
Cllr Charles Margetts, health executive at the borough council said so far, 18,000 samples have returned, and 35 cases of the Delta variant were identified.
“That’s pretty good,” he said. “We found 35 people who didn’t know they had covid, and we wish them a speedy recovery. But we don’t have a runaway problem. If the results came back with a couple of hundred cases, we would have a very different situation.”
Last week, the council also launched a surge vaccination programme in collaboration with the NHS.
Launched within three days of its approval, the centre has a capacity for 500 people everyday.
Cllr Margetts said the aim is to get as many young people vaccinated as quickly as possible.
In three weeks time, the Government may lift all covid restrictions.
In preparation for this, all over 18s are urged to get their first dose of the jab.
“The message is to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, keep doing the twice-weekly lateral flow tests, and isolate properly if you test positive for covid,” the councillor said.
“We’re not out of the woods yet, we know how quickly this can spread.”
Cllr Margetts said the borough council would look to national government to make the appropriate decision when it comes to relaxing restrictions.
“We have to respect that decision and follow it through,” he said.
