SURGE testing “needs to be widened further across south Essex” to stop the spread of the South African variant of Covid-19 following a case in Brentwood. 

Councillors in Basildon and Billericay have urged County Hall bosses to widen the testing, fearing the new variant could easily be spread in supermarkets or through commuters. 

One case of the South African variant was found at the weekend and 5,000 residents in the CM13 postcode have been told to get tested.

About 300 businesses have also been told to test staff.

But Phil Turner, the former Tory leader of Basildon Council, claimed Brentwood shoppers regularly travel to Billericay’s Waitrose. 

He said: “Brentwood and Billericay have the same demographic. They are commuter towns.

“A lot of people go from Brentwood to Billericay to do their supermarket shopping. 

It could have been just bad luck with how they caught it, it could have just been them touching a surface.

“You would hope it wasn’t because they were breaking the rules.

“Essex County Council are right to have surge testing, and the numbers they are aiming for are good, but it needs to be widened.”

County council bosses insisted it is an isolated case with no need for further panic. 

Deputy leader of Basildon Council, Kerry Smith fears residents are travelling between the areas, despite lockdown.

He added: “I don’t see why you couldn’t do it, but it would be a large area it would need to cover.

“A lot of people from these areas travel between each other, and a lot of that is schools.

It would make sense just to pop into businesses or homes near the A127 for example, where people are coming in and out.”

A county council spokesman said: “Surge testing in the CM13 postcode area is purely precautionary. This is a single, isolated case, with no requirement for anyone else to be tested.”