North & East Kent NEEDS emergency government and military testing support. Now.

With the districts of Swale and Thanet having 2 of the 5 highest positive results per 100,000 population in the whole of England today, it is clear that more government help is needed in North and East Kent. As of today, Swale has a rate of 633.7 and Thanet’s is 524.2.

Even outside of those areas, there are some very alarming high-positive-rate wards across East Kent. Seasalter in Whitstable, the large land corridor to the East of Canterbury that stretches from Broomfield in the North, through Sturry to Barham and Bridge in the South and the area around Dover docks and Dover town centre,

The government must roll out much more mass testing in North and East Kent, using the military if need be to assist with the distribution of additional tests and other logistical support. The rates in these areas have continued to rise throughout lockdown, so far showing no real slowing down in the speed of the increasing positive rate. Mass testing in schools, alongside hotspot micro-areas (i.e. particular road groups) and, of course, within hospitals and care homes is vitally needed here before we undoubtedly partially reopen shops and facilities on the 2nd December. East Kent suffered disproportionate fatalities to population at our hospitals in the first outbreak of COVID-19 and unless the government acts fast here, more lives with be lost that could – with swift action – have been saved.