One of Herefordshire’s three COVID-19 mobile testing units has left the county, to help with the Government’s 'surge testing' campaign.

This is taking place in targeted areas to better understand the spread, and to suppress, the South African variant.

The least-used mobile testing units, which includes the one at Ross-on-Wye, are being reassigned by NHS Test and Trace to work in those areas where cases of the South African variant, which do not appear to have travel links, have been found. The areas affected are Ealing, Haringey and Mitcham in London; Walsall in the West Midlands; Broxbourne in Hertfordshire; Maidstone in Kent; Woking in Surry and Southport in Lancashire.

Herefordshire’s Acting Director of Public Health Dr Rebecca Howell-Jones said: “It is very important different parts of the country work together to tackle COVID-19."