COVID variants in Haringey

• Update on enhanced coronavirus testing in N17 - 17 February 2021
• South African variant: what happened?
• £500 self-isolation support payment available
• Further information

Update on enhanced coronavirus testing in N17

17 February 2021

Door-to-door enhanced coronavirus testing in parts of the N17 (Tottenham Hale) area of Haringey has now ended and final collections of tests are now complete. 

The aim of the enhanced testing area was to deliver tests to all residential properties within the footprint area to see how far – if at all – the South African variant has spread. All tests have been sent for further study to find out more about the variant and we will be publishing the results on this page in due course when Public Health England will make them available.

We would like to thank all those who took part in our efforts to track the South African variant at this difficult time. Your support has been invaluable and will enable us to have a clearer picture on the support our community needs.

We urge the community to continue to follow the National lockdown guidance (external link) and stay safe. Residents who have further queries or require support with food or essential items can call Connected Communities on 020 8489 4431.

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South African variant: what happened?

About the variant

On Monday 1 February, the government announced the discovery of the South African variant of COVID-19 in several areas across England.

A few cases were found in the N17 postcode area - a very limited number of people in one household.

In order to help Public Health England determine how far – if at all – the variant had spread, we carried out enhanced testing in the Tottenham Hale area for a couple of weeks.

We had teams going door-to-door offering PCR tests to everyone in a narrowly defined area. 

PCR tests are seen as the gold standard and positive results are being analysed to determine which, if any variant, people have.

Like the UK variant, it is believed that the South African strand can be spread faster than the original COVID-19 virus. However, it is not thought to be any more dangerous.

Work is ongoing to see if or how much of an effect the UK and the South African variants have on the effectiveness of the current vaccines.

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What is an enhanced testing area?

Enhanced testing areas are hyper-local areas around the country where Public Health England has asked for testing to be stepped up following the discovery of the South African variant of COVID-19. The major difference is that every household in a very narrowly defined locality is offered testing kits by teams coming to their home. These are then collected and sent off for a PCR test to determine what variant – if any – the positive cases are.

Those who test positive are told to self-isolate, as they would have to do normally. The results help the NHS work out how fast a variant is spreading in a given area. 

Enhanced testing: how did it work?

Teams went door to door offering households home testing kits.

Mobile Testing Units (MTU) for people who did NOT have symptoms were set up in the local area (home testing kits could not be collected from the MTU).

The MTUs were stationed at these addresses:

• Tottenham Green Leisure Centre, 1 Philip Lane, N15 4JA
  Opening times: 7 days a week, 8am - 3pm,until Sunday 7 February.
• Back of Harris Academy, Park View Road, N17 9BL
  Opening times: 7 days a week, 8am to 3pm, until Wednesday 17 February.
• Stoneleigh Road, Tottenham, N17 9BQ (in the car park opposite The Beehive pub)
  Opening times: 7 days a week, 8am to 3pm, until Wednesday 17 February.

You could either wait at home or go to the local MTU.

In addition to being tested for COVID-19, positive cases are being examined to determine which strain of the virus people have been infected with. Results will be published on this page soon.

This will help see how far - if at all - the South African variant has spread in the community.

Enhanced testing area collection point

Anyone living in the enhanced testing area could drop off their completed swabs at our collection point until Friday 12 February: 

• Living Under One Sun, Bowling Green and Pavilion, Down Lane Park, Park View Road, N17 9EX

If you were not at home when our team came to your home

Teams kept returning to local resident's homes repeatedly over the 2 weeks enhanced testing took place. 

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Schools and early years settings

Schools remained open for critical workers and vulnerable children, and early years settings continued to provide childcare for all.

Children continued attending school or and early years settings. 

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£500 self-isolation support payment available

If you do test positive and have to self-isolate, Haringey is here to help. You may be able to claim up to £500 if you are unable to go to work because you are self-isolating.

You can find details on our NHS Test and Trace Self-Isolation Support Payment page.

Or call our Connected Communities team on 020 8489 4431 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).

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Further information

• Find help and COVID-19 support and news
• Find out more about COVID-19 variants on GOV.UK (external link)
• Variants: distribution of cases data - GOV.UK (external link)
• Latest National guidance - GOV.UK (external link)

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