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Covid: Which areas are being mass tested for the South Africa variant?
It is "critical" that people stay at home in areas where mass testing for the South African Covid variant is taking place, the government says.
At least 147 cases of the strain have been identified in the UK but it's "very possible" it has spread far more widely, experts have said.
Many of these have no obvious link to foreign travel - prompting fears it is now spreading within the community.
Why is surge testing so important? Health Secretary Matt Hancock says "finding every case" of the variant is the goal.
The South Africa strain does not appear to cause more serious illness in the vast majority of people.
However, there are concerns it spreads more easily and that vaccines may not work as well against it.
A small study conducted in South Africa suggests the Oxford AstraZeneca jab - one of the main vaccines currently being administered in the UK - offers "minimal protection" against mild disease caused by the variant.
Although 147 cases have been recorded in the UK, the true number could be far higher. Those detected so far come from random sampling of between 5% and 10% of positive cases.
What happens if I test positive? Anyone who gets a positive result test must immediately self-isolate for at least 10 days. Their contacts will be traced by NHS Test and Trace, and must also isolate if told to do so.
Self-isolating means staying at home and not leaving even to buy food, medicines or other essentials, or for exercise.
People in England who fail to self-isolate after a positive test can be fined up to £10,000.
Anyone on a low income who has been told to self-isolate can claim a £500 payment from their local authority.
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