Haringey coronavirus (COVID-19) updates
COVID-19 rapid testing site opens in Haringey
All residents who have shown no signs of having Coronavirus will be able to take a free rapid COVID-19 test at a new site in Haringey.
The centre at 48 Station Road, Wood Green, N22 7TY is now operational and will run five days a week.
It will be open Tuesday to Friday from noon until 7pm and on Saturdays from 10am until 5pm.
Until now, people have been advised to only book a test if they are showing one of the main symptoms.
They are a high temperature; a new and continuous cough; or a loss of change in their sense of smell or taste.
If you have any of these symptoms do not come to the walk-in centre. Please book a test via NHS Test and Trace by calling 119 or via the GOV.UK website (external link).
However, around a third of people who have the virus are asymptomatic, that is they do not show any signs of having it.
To help stop the spread, the new tests will be able to offer results in as little as 30 minutes – these are called rapid or lateral flow tests (LFT).
While the tests will be able to detect if you have COVID-19 and are infectious they cannot tell if you have had the virus in the past, or if you have only recently picked it up.
But they will go a long way to helping identify people who do not know they have it and are, unknowingly, passing it on to their friends, family, work mates as well as spreading it within their own community.
Because we want to reach the people most at risk, the tests are being offered to everyone but particularly to all frontline workers who come into direct contact with the public day-to-day and those that regularly have to use public transport.
If you have a smartphone please bring it with you as this will help speed up registration.
By reducing the number of people who are accidentally spreading the virus we will help Haringey and London back on the road to a lower tier.
This is a walk-in centre and you will not need to make a booking.
More centres are planned for Haringey over the coming weeks. Details will follow soon.
Government reverses decision and will close all primary schools in London
The government has reversed their decision on school openings and has now agreed that all primary schools should remain closed throughout London.
It was announced on December 30 that a number of primary schools in the majority of London boroughs would not physically open to pupils next week, other than for vulnerable children and those whose parents are key workers. Haringey and several other boroughs were surprisingly not included on this list, even though infection rates were higher than many of the boroughs who were on the list, and the rate at which infections are rising is greater.
Nine London authorities including Haringey sent a joint letter to Education Secretary Gavin Williamson asking for their primary schools to close and the government have now agreed and changed their decision.
Read the full statement from Cllr Ejiofor and Cllr Amin.
Secondary-age pupils and those in colleges will face a staggered return to school.
Earlier this week the government confirmed that across the country, all secondary school and post-16 pupils in exam years are to return during the week beginning 11 January, with all secondary schools and college students returning full-time on 18 January.
In secondary schools, all vulnerable children and the children of critical workers will go back next week across England, as originally planned.
Leader's Xmas message
Cllr Joseph Ejiofor, Leader of Haringey Council, wants to reassure residents across the borough that the council is ready to support and help our community as we cope with the difficult challenges of moving into the Tier 4 restrictions.
See also case numbers and rates, health advice - including tests and vaccines, Council service updates, financial and other support for residents, business support, how you can help and COVID scams and misinformation.
Visit the Gov.UK and NHS websites for more help and support.
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