Residents will now be asked to perform a Covid-19 check even if they show symptoms, Surrey County Council said.

???? Read our coronavirus blog for the latest news and updates.

The “overvoltage test” program will begin at Woking’s Goldsworth Park and St Johns spaces.

At that point, it could spread to other parts of the county in the coming days.

The Surrey Local Resilience Forum (SLRF) said: “This follows the notification that an express variant of Covid-19 has been known from two positive tests in the area, in citizens who have no connection to past cases or variants. “

The mutation, 501YV2, is feared to be 50% more contagious than the original strain and vaccine-resistant.

So far, there have been a total of 105 instances of the South African variant in the UK and so far all have been connected from the country.

Health officials said mass testing would largely control any community spread of the new variant and restrict the next transmission.

Ruth Hutchinson, Surrey’s director of public health, said, “This is a precautionary measure: the more instances of the variant we find, the more likely we are to prevent it from spreading further. “

“By betting your component and testing, you’ll keep your network and the networks you enjoy safe.

“It’s vital to say that lately there’s no evidence that this variant causes a more serious disease, so you don’t have to worry. “

Dr. Alison Barnett, Regional Director of Public Health in South-East England, said: “The UK has one of the world’s genomic systems, which has allowed us to find the variant originating in South Africa here in Surrey.

“I urge everyone to offer a check to return it to help us monitor the virus in our communities and help suppress and spread this variant. “

“The most important thing is for others to continue to stick to the recommendation in the position: restrict the number of contacts, wash your hands and carefully, keep your distance and protect your face.

“If you test positive through any method, you will need to isolate it to prevent the spread of the virus. “

The South African strain entered the UK at the end of December, when two other people tested positive for the mutant virus.

Experts are involved in the variant because it is feared to be more contagious and more fatal than the original.

A team of scientists from South Africa, who have been reading the variant since giving the impression of being overdue last year, found that it is up to 50% more infectious than the new coronavirus.

Experts have already warned that the South African variant will be detected through a check: a user dressed with it would be positive, but verification will distinguish whether it has the new variant or an earlier version.

© News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. 679215 Headquarters: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. “The Sun”, “Sun”, “Sun Online” are registered trademarks or industry names of News Group Newspapers Limited. This service is provided under the popular terms and situations of News Group Newspapers ‘Limited, in accordance with our privacy and cookie policy. For information about a hardware replica license, our distribution site. Check out our online press kit. For any additional requests, please contact us. To view all the contents of The Sun, use the site map. Sun’s online page is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organization (IPSO)

Our hounds aspire to precision, but we make mistakes. To learn more about our claims policy and register a claim, click this link: thesun. co. uk/editorial-complaints/