London-based football club Tottenham Hotspur have announced that it had procured the necessary equipment to its home ground so that it can “operate drive-through Covid-19 testing and swabbing for NHS staff, families and their dependents”.
The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is the first of its kind to open its doors for testing. The club explained that the facilities have been “repurposed and fitted out to house the North Middlesex Hospital’s Women’s Outpatient Services”. This helps freeing up much-needed capacity at the hospital itself to treat patients with COVID symptoms, whilst supporting the redirection of pregnant women away from the hospital during the pandemic.
Over and above, the stadium’s basement is being used as a distribution hub by the London Food Alliance – a new scheme set up to ensure food supplies for the most vulnerable people within the capital.
In its statement, the club said that “following yet another difficult week for our country, our thoughts continue to be with those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our profound thanks go to the NHS and all key workers for the invaluable roles they are fulfilling at this critical time.
The club was on the receiving end of criticism when suspending the employment of a number of non-playing staff, with the intention of requesting Government support for the latter. This decision has since been reversed, with its Chairman, Daniel Levy, explaining that “the criticism the Club has received over the last week has been felt all the more keenly because of our track record of good works and our huge sense of responsibility to care for those that rely on us, particularly locally.
“We regret any concern caused during an anxious time and hope the work our supporters will see us doing in the coming weeks, as our stadium takes on a whole new purpose, will make them proud of their Club.”
The North London club has also announced that staff will be volunteering to support the NHS activities at the stadium.
Our staff have been already been, and others will be joining them, volunteering to support the NHS activities at the stadium.
Source – tottenhamhotspur.com
