Mass testing to be launched in 'seven to 10 days' at Mill House Leisure Centre

Cllr Shane Moore, leader of Hartlepool Borough Council, said they hope to have the mass testing site up and running in the near future at Mill House Leisure Centre.

It came as he, along with other council chiefs, answered questions from residents yesterday (January 13) on the Covid-19 pandemic and how it is impacting Hartlepool.

One of the questions asked was when the lateral flow community testing would be introduced in Hartlepool, noting how well it worked in Liverpool to help bring cases down.

Cllr Moore said: “When it comes to the mass community testing we’re hoping to have this up and running in the next seven to 10 days operating from the Mill House Leisure Centre site.

“These tests will be there for asymptomatic people or people who might need regular testing.

“We would encourage people once it is up and running to use this service, and really do get down there and make sure people are tested.”

The council leader also noted they have already been allocated some of the lateral flow tests, which have been used in a number of care settings across the town.

The update comes after earlier this week questions were raised why the mass coronavirus testing offered to Hartlepool two months ago by the Government had not been rolled out yet.

As part of the online question and answer session, one resident had submitted a query as to why Hartlepool ‘is a Covid hotspot’.

Cllr Moore, Headland and Harbour ward representative, noted there are likely multiple reasons for this, such as the geographical layout of Hartlepool and deprivation factors.

He said: “Hartlepool as a town, we’re quite a small and compact town, we’re quite densely populated which doesn’t help.

“Unlike other areas where the borough might be split up into various townships or lots of little villages as well, there isn’t that natural break for the virus, and so it is able to spread a little bit more easily in places like Hartlepool.

“It’s not helped by the high level of deprivation in certain areas, and we see that not just in Hartlepool but in other areas right across the country.”

Cllr Moore also responded to a question as to why roads are busier than in the first lockdown, stating there are now more people permitted and encouraged to go to work.

One resident also asked what the main source of Covid-19 transmission is in Hartlepool, with director of public health Craig Blundred noting they have done a great deal of work on this.

He gave examples of it being transmitted within households, work places, pubs, restaurants and bars, but said there’s ‘no real one place’ that can be really pinpointed for the transmission.

Cllr Moore also responded to a resident who asked what people can do to help reduce the Covid-19 rate in Hartlepool.

The council leader said the most important thing residents can do is get ‘back to basics’ and follow the hands, face, space guidance.

He said: “The biggest thing you can do is, let’s go back to basics. Let’s go back to what we did back in March, April and the months going on from there.

“It was the basics of hands, face, space, don’t go out and don’t make unnecessary journeys if you don’t have to, and remember just because you can do something, doesn’t necessarily mean you should do it.

“We need to really break the transmission as much as possible, especially with this current strain.

“It’s far more transmissible than the previous strain of coronavirus, so we really do need people to think carefully about when they’re popping out for unnecessary journeys.”

Cllr Moore signed off after answering the questions from residents by calling on everybody to stay at home where possible, to help protect the NHS and save lives.

He said: “We’re pleased that the vaccine programme is going well currently in Hartlepool and it does provide a little bit of hope for us, but we must remember that we aren’t out of danger yet.”

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