Enhanced Covid Testing to Tackle Glasgow's Southside Outbreak

Glasgow City Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde are working together to increase the amount of COVID-19 testing capacity in the areas affected by the current outbreak.

This has already included increasing the number of Local Test Sites carrying out PCR testing, as well as making all test sites in the city available for asymptomatic testing, rather than just symptomatic testing. Lateral Flow Tests have also been made available through southside mosques with Imams urging worshipers to collect tests for their families.

From this week, rapid result Lateral Flow Test kits will be delivered by post to every household in the G41 and G42 postcodes and PCR testing will also be rolled out door-to-door in Pollokshields East and West. This will see around 32,000 lateral flow kits containing seven tests each mailed to homes and around 10,000 single PCR tests offered in person on doorsteps.

Teams will deliver kits door-to-door, encouraging people to take a test and also answer any questions people have. The delivery teams will consist of nurses, Glasgow Home Care staff, volunteers from British Red Cross and some contractors.

This is in addition to almost 33,000 Lateral Flow Tests which were handed out across Glasgow between last Friday (14th May) and Sun (16th May) and 1775 PCR tests which were also carried out. 

Glasgow City Council Leader Susan Aitken urged people to take advantage of the enhanced testing.

She said: "The pandemic isn't over yet. It's vital that Glasgow gets back on the path to level two then heads back towards normality.

"The way to do that is to stick to the rules and to know if you are infected. Please get tested even if you have no symptoms. If you test positive then self-isolate and if you need help while doing so, call the Glasgow Helps phoneline on 0141 276 1185 (Freephone 0800 111 4000) If you test negative, please do another test in a few days.

"We will get through this, but each and every one of us needs to play our part."

Dr Linda de Caestecker, Director of Public Health, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde commented: 

"Everyone now has access to free COVID-19 tests, even if you do not have symptoms. We all need to remember that people can have COVID-19 and not show any symptoms while spreading the virus.

"One of the most important ways we can suppress the virus is for everyone to test themselves twice a week. This can be done quickly and easily at home. You can order test kits to be delivered to your home or you can pick them up at one of our testing sites.

"We are delivering testing kits to all households in certain postcodes with increasing rates of infection to make testing as easy as possible. I really encourage everyone to take up this offer as soon as the kits are delivered and to register their results immediately afterwards, as shown in the leaflets provided. In some of the streets most affected, staff are going door-door with laboratory tests and will assist householders to use them. Please again take up this offer.   

"If you receive a positive test result, please adhere to self-isolation requirements in order to protect your loved ones and community. With increased testing, vaccinations and self-isolation, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19, stay healthy and hopefully lift some restrictions."

The UK Government provides all Covid testing in Scotland outside of the NHS and the Glasgow Lighthouse Lab works round-the-clock to process samples.

Enhanced contact tracing measures are also in place to help contain the virus and prevent onward spread within the community. 

Anyone identified as a close contact of somebody who has tested positive will be asked to self-isolate for 10 days and get tested, even if they have been vaccinated.

As appropriate, Test and Protect contact tracers may also request that contacts of close contacts self-isolate and take a test, to help prevent onward spread of the virus, even if they too have been vaccinated.  

Mobile test units on the southside are available at the following locations for symptomatic and asymptomatic testing, and the collection of test kits:

• Govanhill Community Building, car park by the health centre, 205 Calder St, G42 7DR; Open 10am to 5pm
• Glasgow Central Mosque, car park, 1 Mosque Avenue, Gorbals, G5 9TA; Open noon to 5pm
• Overflow car park, Barrland Street, Pollokshields, G41 2PE.; 10am-5pm
• Langside Halls, 1 Langside Avenue, G41 2QR, 9.30am-4pm
• Glasgow Club Queens Park Bowls & Tennis Pavilion, Queens Park, G42 8DA, Mon-Fri 9.30am-6pm; Sat/Sun 9.30-5pm

All of the city's local test sites are now available for both asymptomatic (without symptoms) and symptomatic (with symptoms) testing. Full list of locations at  https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/

Tests can be booked by going to www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

The UK Government is providing the test kits as part of its testing programme.