- Covid-19 testing centre in New Addington ‘is a health hazard’ claims one councillor
- Two more fatalities bring the coronavirus death toll in Croydon since March to 500
- ‘We all have to do a bit more’ to keep our communities safe, says borough health chief
Janet Campbell: BAME residents need to seek checks more quickly
Council officials are already preparing for the borough to be moved to “Very High”, the top tier of the government’s covid-19 alert levels, Janet Campbell told the latest Town Hall Cabinet meeting.
Campbell, a councillor for West Thornton ward, is the cabinet member for families, health and social care, and was responding to a brief presentation on the latest coronavirus situation in the borough from Rachel Flowers, the council’s director of public health.
Together with the rest of London, Croydon was placed in Tier 2 – “High” – by the government at midnight on Friday.
In her presentation, Flowers told councillors that the change in lockdown status means that, “Because we’re seeing more transmissions across London, we all have to do a bit more”, stressing the need for people to wash their hands frequently, wear masks in enclosed public places and to keep a two-metre distance from others.
National covid-19 data, as at Oct 20, 2020
According to Flowers, the number of positive cases within Croydon is rising, with an incidence rate of 75 per 100,000 of population (“relatively low compared to the rest of London”, Flowers said), and an R rate of more than 1.0. “There are positive cases in every part of the borough,” she said.
Flowers said that on Monday, there had been 48 positive cases reported, with 11 people in hospital because of the virus, though none were being treated in intensive care (the number of positive cases reported yesterday in Croydon, according to official figures, was 50).
Over the previous week, two people in Croydon had died due to covid-related illness, bringing the total of fatalities linked to coronavirus in the borough since March to more than 500.
The number of cases was doubling every two to three weeks, Flowers said. “We are in the second wave of the pandemic.”
Campbell told her Cabinet colleagues that the council’s civic emergency Gold committee was now meeting twice weekly, “as we anticipate our move to Tier Three”.
Croydon covid-19 data, correct as at October 20, 2020
She used the meeting to stress the need for BAME – black, Asian and minority ethnic – residents to seek medical advice and treatment promptly, as the experience of the first lockdown had been that “members of the BAME community present late”.
Croydon covid-19 data, as at Oct 20, 2020
Flowers also told the meeting that “I did not choose the site”, when she was questioned about the wisdom, or lack of it, of positioning a covid-19 test centre in the middle of the shopping area of New Addington and close to the leisure centre.
One councillor described the site choice as “a health hazard”, that had caused New Addington residents serious concerns as people with suspected covid-19 symptoms arrived for a test, mingling with shoppers and those using the council-owned gym and pool.
According to Flowers it was the government’s contractors, Deloittes, who decided that the centre of New Addington was a suitable place for a testing centre. Flowers apologised for the situation to the residents of New Addington: “I’m sorry. There’s definitely some lessons we have learned.”
She said that 75 per cent of those being tested at the New Addington centre were Croydon residents.
Flowers suggested that she would like at least four testing centres around the borough, and that the occasional pop-up drive-through test centre at the Fairfield Halls was not adequate for the borough. “Testing and tracing will keep our community safe,” she said.
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network- Inside Croydon works together with the Bureau of Investigative Journalism and BBC London News
- Inside Croydon named Journalist of the Year at 2018 Anna Kennedy Online Autism Heroes Awards
- ROTTEN BOROUGH AWARDS: For three consecutive years, 2017, 2018 and 2019, Inside Croydon has been the source for award-winning nominations in Private Eye magazine’s annual celebration of civic cock-ups
- Inside Croydon had 1.6million pages viewed by 721,000 unique visitors in 2019
It would certainly help if people followed the existing rules. Why are so many people using buses without wearing masks?
or wearing them incorrectly – under your nose, on your chin or around your neck doesn’t quite work. I get the impression that many in Croydon couldn’t care less. And by the way disposable means just that – one wear not stuffed back in your pocket for months.
Bio hazard activities need to be away from the populace. Covid19 testing no different despite stringent safety measures. This virus is as resilient as any when comes to spreading.
The council should have resisted and suggested much more isolated locations for the current Croydon testing facilities instead of marshalling blame – like it doesn’t have a say – tired of hearing that it is always someone else’s fault.
It is a broken record of mistakes or miscalculation this council continuously makes.
I understand your reservations, Lee.
On this occasion, I believe Rachel Flowers when she says that the test centre site was not her choice, but that she – and the council – were ignored by Deloittes and Serco.
The conduct is consistent with many of the practices that these two government-appointed contractors have made through the pandemic and in other spheres of public practice.
Why are school children allowed on ordinary buses and and don’t get on board the school buses. I see a lot of school buses with no one on them! its crazy….
I Agree with Mikeglondon and Alan, Many people in Croydon have not and are still not following the guidelines especially in the wearing of masks.
I am 77 and have a few health issues including Cancer and COPD which is worrying when seeing the people ignoring these guidelines even in stores that have mask signage displayed.