Second Covid Test Centre 'Shut Down Overnight' To Make Way For Brexit
A second Covid-19 testing centre has been closed by the government to make way for a Brexit lorry park, leaving residents confused about where to get tested.
The Tipner drive-through centre in Portsmouth, which is owned by Deloitte, was due to become a lorry site on October 5, but was moved to Southampton Airport ahead of schedule and without warning.
It emerged on September 15 that another site, at Ebbsfleet International station in Kent, had been closed after a letter leaked to the Local Democracy Reporting Service showed HMRC needed it for “EU Exit”.
Officials in Portsmouth have accused the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) of failing to tell local authorities about the closure of the Tipner centre, and urged health secretary Matt Hancock – who used to be MP for the area – to “take responsibility”.
Portsmouth City Council’s cabinet member for health, Matthew Winnington, told the PA news agency he had “no clue” the site would move early, adding the Health Secretary should “take responsibility” for the change.
Winnington said: “Matt Hancock has to take responsibility for this, especially as he’s a former minister for Portsmouth so should know the importance of ensuring Portsmouth and the surrounding area is kept in the loop when things like this happen.”
“The DHSC needs to get a grip,” he added.
Although the DHSC said the site moved “more than a week ago”, the Liberal Democrat councillor said it happened suddenly on Wednesday – a view shared by Portsmouth residents.
Winnington said: “It didn’t go a week ago, it was around Wednesday evening. It almost seems the DHSC didn’t know when it moved and that’s even more concerning.
“We didn’t have a clue it would be moving earlier than planned. We have absolutely no idea why we weren’t informed.
“It makes me feel ridiculous because people are then saying to me, ‘this test site has moved, do you know about that?’ and I have to tell them I didn’t know.”
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