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This picture of a postbox in a student area rammed with so many Covid home test kits some are spilling onto the street reveals the stark reality of the deadly second wave.
The postbox in Ilkeston Road, Nottingham, is in an area with a high student population where hundreds have been infected with the virus.
Sport Rehabilitation student Amy Collins, 21, was shocked to discover the collection point overflowing with home test packs.
She said: “My housemate has symptoms so we were actually posting a test for her. We went to that post office and it was so full.
“The postbox was filled right up to the top. Whether that was just the top half, the whole box or just as much as I could see inside it.
“Everything you could see inside the postbox was home kits.
“It’s pretty unnerving and it made me realise how much it was affecting the student population more than anything.
“The situation at university is a bit stressful because obviously, we’re wondering if there’s going to be a lockdown and when we will be able to go home to your family safely.
“The university has done well in terms of online education type things but it’s more about like can we go home, can we see friends.
“That is a bit rubbish to have to think about when you should be at uni having fun but it’s just kind of the way it is at the moment.”
The city’s infection rate of 440.1 per 100,000 people is the fifth highest in England.
On Monday (5/10) 425 University of Nottingham students tested positive for coronavirus with many of those in shared housing.
Royal Mail confirmed that due to larger volumes of tests than normal, it has increased clearances of the postbox on Ilkeston Road.
A spokesperson said: “We take the privacy, health and safety of our customers very seriously.
“This priority postbox is in an area of Nottingham where there is a high student population.
“The postbox has received larger than usual volumes of completed test kits in the last 24 hours following a recent spike in student cases.
“We already carry out three daily clearances of this postbox from Monday to Friday.
“We are introducing two additional clearances at around 10am and 7pm over the next 48 hours.
“We are also in touch with local educational establishments to see if we can help manage the collection of test kits in any other way.
“We continue to monitor the situation which we are keeping under review.”
