Three new areas in the UK are to have door-to-door testing due to the South African variant of coronaviurs being detected.
Middlesbrough, Hampshire and more areas in Walsall will now be offered extra testing for the virus.
People living within the targeted areas are being encouraged to take a Covid-19 test even if they aren't showing any symptoms of the virus, the Government announced on Saturday.
A case of the South African variant of Covid-19 has been identified in the village of Bramley, near Basingstoke, Hampshire.
Residents of the area aged over 16 will next week be subject to a surge-testing programme in a bid to find any further cases of the variant.
In Middlesborough, an additional test centre has been set up at the Parkway Centre in Coulby Newham and anybody over the age of 16 from Marton and Coulby Newham is being urged to get tested.
Latest coronavirus infection data show Middlesbrough currently has the fifth highest infection rate in England.
Walsall Council is extended additional coronavirus testing into more areas after being made aware of a second case of the South African variant in the borough.
The second person affected by the variant – which was identified after "routine sequencing" of positive Covid tests – is known to have made a full recovery.
The new postcodes being targeted with extra testing - in full - are:
- Middlesbrough, TS7
- Hampshire, RG26
- Walsall
A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Social Care said: "Further targeted areas will have additional testing made available to help monitor and suppress the spread of a Covid-19 variant.
"Working in partnership with the local authorities, additional surge testing and genomic sequencing is being deployed to targeted areas within Middlesbrough within TS7, areas in Walsall and in specific areas in the RG26 postcode in Hampshire where the Covid-19 variant first identified in South Africa has been found.
"Surge testing is being introduced in addition to existing extensive testing, and in combination with following the lockdown rules and remembering 'Hands, Face, Space', will help to monitor and suppress the spread of the virus.
"Positive cases will be sequenced for genomic data to help understand Covid-19 variants and their spread within these areas.
"People living within these targeted areas are strongly encouraged to take a Covid-19 test this week, whether they are showing symptoms or not.
"People with symptoms should book a test in the usual way, and those without symptoms should visit their local authority website for more information."
"Surge testing in the Egham and Broxbourne areas, which began on February 6 and February 1, is now complete and further data on surge testing will be provided in due course."
People in areas Moss Side, as well as Lambeth in south London and parts of Worcestershire, Kent and Surrey have all been offered tests when cases of new strains have been identified.
