On Friday 6 November, Sir David Amess visited a new Coronavirus testing centre at the former Nazareth House care home. This new testing centre in Southend tests over 200 people a day and allows patients to be tested before they come into hospital to have their planned procedures, keeping them self-isolated and minimising their risk of contracting COVID-19.

Those being tested include patients who are due to have planned operations, key workers including NHS employees, care workers, the emergency services and education workers, and their household members receiving symptomatic testing.

The new centre has three covered drive-through lanes and parking spaces that can be used for self-swabbing, allowing for patients to be kept distanced from swabbing staff and others while having their COVID tests.

Sir David said “Nazareth House will always be dear to my heart, and following its closure earlier this year I am so glad that its caring ethos has been maintained through this COVID testing centre to fight the pandemic. I would particularly like to thank all the staff who are running the centre for their hard work and expertise.”