The Department of Health’s covid-19 testing centre, sited right in the heart of New Addington
There’s been a mixed response from New Addington residents to having had a covid-19 testing centre plonked right next to Central Parade.
Prefabricated buildings were erected on the Addington Community Association car park on Central Parade last week and the centre was fully operational within 48 hours.
In a statement issued by the Department of Health and Social Care, the testing facility was described as “part of the government’s UK-wide drive to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for communities”.
Testing at the New Addington centre is only available for those either with coronavirus symptoms – a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense or taste – or those who have been asked to get tested by a doctor, public health professional or by their local council.
Those attending the centre are asked not to use public transport to get there.
Tests have to be by appointment and can be booked at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus or by calling 119.
“You can expect your result the next day,” the government press release promised.
Residents in New Addington suggest that siting the test centre on the industrial estate might have made better sense
But after a week of being operational, the practicalities of having a centre being attended by people who may well be infected with coronavirus are being questioned by New Addington residents.
“Really glad that we have a testing centre in New Addington,” said one resident, “but to put it in the centre of the busiest part, with all our shops and restaurants, has alarmed a fair few. “Bearing in mind we have a large industrial estate in New Addington which would comfortably house such a centre…”.
The test centre has used steel barriers to arrange for its queue to snake about 100 yards down the road, close to Central Parade and the new leisure centre, with “plenty of people popping to shops and mingling”, according to the resident.
When the matter of using a more socially distanced site was raised with Croydon Council, their official response was that the centre had been signed off by the Department of Health and Social Care.
So that’s all right then…
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My mum my sister, her fiance and my youngest son as well as my two nieces live near the British Legion on the estate. I live in Forestdale. My mum and sister went up and sat opposite the test centre on the first full days opening in half an hour they saw one person admitted and two turned away in half an hour. This while everybody was screaming about lack of testing…….