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People suspected of having Covid-19 symptoms were sent to a non-existent site in Kent on Sunday, in what was seen as yet another blow to England’s failed test-and-trace system.
Council officials in Sevenoaks said the address had been posted on the government website so people could make appointments on the national reservation portal.
However, the mobile test unit, which was to be introduced in response to a local spike in coronavirus rates, was not rolled out to start on the site today for “an unknown reason,” according to a spokesperson.
This led to reports of some people driving through the facility for up to an hour before realizing it was not operational.
Angie Waters, 67, whose 74-year-old husband suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, was among those who had booked a test at the Otford Road parking and ride site.
Waters, who had developed a cough, told the BBC that the situation was an “absolute fiasco”. She said: “I thought to be sure it would be better if I got tested, I don’t want to put it at risk. It was just a joke. I spoke to a woman who said she had been hanging around for an hour. “
Peter Fleming, the Sevenoaks district council leader, told the Daily Mail that government officials had asked them to try to identify a suitable site in the area, but that none had been duly authorized at this stage.
When asked how this could have happened, he replied: “It seems they were aiming for it to be open this weekend; however, he had not had his final approval. However, it was still included in the list of test sites. “
The Kent County Council (KCC) and Sevenoaks District Council, which coordinated the site’s offer for a mobile test unit, are now investigating the issue.
A KCC spokesperson apologized for anyone making a “useless trip,” and advised people with reservations to arrange a postal test or make an appointment elsewhere.
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Welfare said: “We are aware of an issue with an incorrect testing location in Sevenoaks. This issue has now been resolved and people are being redirected to the correct site.
“NHS Test and Trace is providing tests on an unprecedented scale of more than 270,000 tests per day nationwide and we are on track to reach the capacity of 500,000. tests up to date at the end of October. ”
