LBC Covid: Which areas in England will get rapid

LBC
Covid: Which areas in England will get rapid turnaround mass testing support?
11 November 2020, 8:01 | Updated: 11 November 2020, 8:06


EJ Ward
By EJ Ward

@EJWardNews

Over half a million rapid-turnaround lateral flow tests will be sent out by NHS Test and Trace to local public health leaders this week, signalling the next phase of the government’s plan to expand asymptomatic testing for Covid-19
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that directors of public health across England can now request support to deliver mass asymptomatic coronavirus testing in their local areas.


Mr Hancock said nearly half of all local authorities across the country have taken up the offer of the new lateral flow tests with a turnaround time of under an hour.

The minister told MPs he had written to every director of public health on Monday and was expecting "a whole load more" to sign up for the tests.

The “lateral flow” tests are made in China by US company Innova. Lateral flow is the technology behind pregnancy test kits, meaning they are simple to use and read, delivering results in 15 minutes.


Covid rapid testing will be rolled out across England
Covid rapid testing will be rolled out across England. Picture: PA
The devices will be issued to directors of public health in the following local authorities:

Barking and Dagenham

Bexley


Birmingham

Blackburn and Darwen

Blackpool

Bolton

Brent

Bristol

Bury

Calderdale

Camden

City of London

County Durham

Coventry

Darlington

Doncaster

Dudley

East Riding of Yorkshire

Enfield

Essex

Gateshead

Greenwich

Hackney

Halton

Hammersmith and Fulham

Hartlepool

Hertfordshire

Kingston upon Hull

Islington

Kensington and Chelsea

Kingston upon Thames

Knowsley

Lambeth

Lewisham

Luton

Manchester

Middlesborough

Newcastle upon Tyne

Newham

North Tyneside

Northumberland

Nottingham City

Nottinghamshire

Oldham

Redbridge

Redcar and Cleveland

Richmond upon Thames

Rochdale

Salford

Sefton

South Tyneside

Southwark

St Helen's

Staffordshire

Stockport

Stockton-on-Tees

Sunderland

Tameside

Tower Hamlets

Trafford

Wakefield

Waltham Forest

Wandsworth

Warrington

Wigan

Wirral

Wolverhampton

Stoke on Trent, Liverpool and Lancashire have already been provided with lateral flow tests before this week.



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