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Joanna Taylor
Sep 09, 2020
Quinn Rooney / Phil Inglis / Getty Images
A south London resident was offered a coronavirus test over 350 miles away in Scotland.
The East Dulwich constituent's local MP, Helen Hayes, shared a screenshot of the suggestion on Twitter.
Just been sent this by constituent in East Dulwich who is being offered a Covid test in St Andrews. Cases are going… https://t.co/XeCvvzDnIT— Helen Hayes 💙🌹 (@Helen Hayes 💙🌹) 1599558891
The unnamed person was told their nearest walk-in test site was 355.8 miles away in St Andrews.
Despite the fact that travelling untested risks spreading the virus, the government are recommending walks to testing centres of up to 500 miles.
Want a coronavirus test in Southwark? You might just have to walk ~500 miles to Scotland for "your nearest test sit… https://t.co/aXb5FwvuHr— Josh Salisbury (@Josh Salisbury) 1599572373
Other people have also been recommended extremely long walks to test centres.
@be_braver @kentishsal @Amelia_Torode @helenhayes_ @MattHancock We were offered Aberdeen earlier. We live in Manche… https://t.co/KIR8iNLQMv— Anna Harris (@Anna Harris) 1599594096
@annakharris @be_braver @kentishsal @helenhayes_ @MattHancock We’ve been offered Newport. 150 mile round trip 🤬— Amelia Torode (@Amelia Torode) 1599594475
@helenhayes_ @MattHancock I applied this morning and got romford! Or oldham..i live in Nottm. It is a real concern.😷— urban feet (@urban feet) 1599561972
The government were criticised for their "complete failure" to offer accessible local testing to all.
@helenhayes_ @Jos21Bell @MattHancock And if testing is not working, you can forget about track and trace. There is… https://t.co/ecNLmv7P5K— Dominic Minghella (@Dominic Minghella) 1599567288
@helenhayes_ @venyanamore @MattHancock !!! - "Well sir, if you haven't got Covid when you leave home, you'll have i… https://t.co/GZ8z0YIbdl— Тереса (@Тереса) 1599564550
Some people mused that Dominic Cummings's 260 mile trip to Durham in May suddenly all made sense.
@helenhayes_ @MattHancock The mist clears.... Mr Cummings Esq was testing the online booking system and it assigne… https://t.co/7hdgmUGAOB— John Bartlett (@John Bartlett) 1599596518
East Dulwich to St Andrews for a Covid test (possibly via Barnards Castle). https://t.co/dFS2CZsQCD https://t.co/BmykrxES0t— Richard Baker (@Richard Baker) 1599559215
And others likened the journey's length to The Proclaimers's 'I'm Gonna Be'.
🎶 and I would walk 500 miles, and I would walk 500 more, just to get a covid test before i fall down at your door 🎶 https://t.co/e15cfxHhuf— louis 🦄™ (@louis 🦄™) 1599573102
Proclaimers reference unintentional, but quite fitting.— Josh Salisbury (@Josh Salisbury) 1599572411
So much for a "world beating" test, track and trace system.
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