Croydon residents are being urged to protect themselves and their loved ones by knowing how to get tested for coronavirus under the Keep Croydon Safe campaign launched today (Wednesday).
Launched as part of a new London-wide drive to address low awareness of Covid-19 testing and contact tracing across the capital, Croydon Council is urging people in the borough to get aware of how to access the NHS Test and Trace service if they are showing Covid-19 symptoms.
The borough’s Keep Croydon Safe call comes as part of the Keep London Safe campaign, which is led by London Councils in partnership with all 33 London councils, and supported by Public Health England, the NHS, the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority (GLA).
The campaign comes after a YouGov poll for the GLA in June showed 46% of Londoners do not know how to get a Covid-19 test and 35% know little or nothing about NHS Test and Trace.
If you or anyone you know is showing symptoms – such as a fever, a continuous cough, or loss of smell or taste – you should immediately self-isolate for seven days and get a coronavirus test by calling 119 or visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus
The short and painless test involves taking a cotton bud sample from your mouth and nose, and you usually get results within 48 hours. Members of your household also need to self-isolate at home for 14 days from when your symptoms first showed.
If the test result is negative, your household can come out of self-isolation. If the result is positive, you and your household must complete the self-isolation – and you should receive a text or email from the NHS asking for details of the people you have been in close, recent contact with – and places you have visited – to protect those most at risk. No-one contacted will be told your identity.
“Coronavirus has not gone away, and here in Croydon keeping our residents safe from this remains a top council priority.
“A key part of limiting this infection risk is for everyone to do the right thing by continuing good hygiene and social distancing measures to protect themselves, their families and friends. This includes regularly washing hands, keeping apart when out and about and wearing a mask on public transport and in shops, which is now the law.
“But many people in Croydon are still unclear about what they need to do around testing, which is why I am proud to back this vital Keep Croydon Safe drive and the wider London campaign so everyone gets a mask and, if they show Covid-19 symptoms, stay at home and get tested straightaway by calling 119 or visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus. The long-term recovery of Croydon and every other borough in London depends on it.”
Councillor Tony Newman, leader of the council
To get involved and share the messages on social media, use the hashtags #keepcroydonsafe and #keeplondonsafe
For more information, visit the NHS website.
