Coronavirus test centre staff ‘receive abuse’ from angry motorists
People aged 18-23 living or working in Cambridge and those they live with are being urged to get a PCR test for Covid-19 as part of extra testing rolled out by Cambridgeshire County Council. - Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Wire/PA Images
Coronavirus test centre staff and council officers are receiving regular abuse from motorists being asked to move their parked cars.
The once-a-week mobile centre at City Road lorry and car park in March could be lost after organisers are becoming increasingly fed up with altercations.
“Fenland District Council officers block the spaces with cones before the centre opens every Tuesday,” said deputy council leader councillor Jan French.
“Several times people have just moved the cones and just parked there and when they are challenged about it, they’re just giving a load of abuse.”
The test centre cancelled on Tuesday, December 22 following the abuse and now Cllr French fears March could lose its test centre for good.
She added: “If they continue to do [abuse staff] we’re going to lose the test centre. Why should people put up with abuse?
“They [staff] are there to help people, if we don’t have a testing centre in March the nearest one is going to be Wisbech for people to travel to.
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“To be fair, lorry drivers have been considerate so we’re not blaming them, it’s actual members of the public in private cars.”