London Covid: East London council branded a 'joke' after ‘shambolic’ opening of rapid testing site
| Date | 21 December 2020 |
| Published date | 21 December 2020 |
At one absurd point, people in the queue were told by stewards that although their test could be taken, they wouldn't be able to give them any results.
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Despite promising to re-open on Monday December 21 after Friday's shambles, people were turned away after they ran out of tests.
The council has now introduced a booking system in response to "unprecedented demand."
The site was meant to offer a place for people to get a free test with no booking required.
People flocked to the centre to make sure they were Covid free but it proved a disaster.
One Hackney resident, Issie, 25, spoke to MyLondon about the opening. Despite being advertised as open from 10am on Friday, Issie was told to come back later.
She said: "We got there for 2pm and there were tonnes of people there.
"The queue stretched from the Town Hall down to the street to the pub and round the corner.
"There was no one making sure social distancing was being kept up. Members of the public were coming up right up to us and asking up what’s going on."
Issie has since had a positive test for coronavirus meaning she had the virus when she was forced to queue.
She continued: "We queued for 2.5 hours.
"The queue was going down but when we got near a steward came out and said that it’d be closing. Security just locked the gate and even security weren’t told.
"The stewards didn’t know what was going on either.
"We were told they’re really sorry. They couldn’t match up tests with results. So people could get tested but get no results.
"People with symptoms had travelled and then had to queue for no reason."
Issie was terrified by the whole thing. She added: "It was so unsafe.
"A line of possible Covidy people just on the pavement. With members of the public just walking past.
"I cried at the end. It was biggest mess ever."
Have you been trying a failing to get a test Leave your comment here.
It wasn't just Issie left furious after the opening.
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