Citywide Covid-19 testing is to be introduced in Liverpool under a pilot scheme that will see 2,000 military personnel brought in to assist as Britain prepares for a nationwide lockdown.
Liverpool, currently one of the hardest hit parts of the UK with 410.4 cases per 100,000 people as of late October, will become the first city in England to receive regular testing for its entire population under the plan that will begin this week.
The tests will be offered to those who live or work in Liverpool even if they have no symptoms and will be carried out at a variety of locations including schools, universities and workplaces.
Cases will be identified via swab tests or a new lateral flow method, which can produce results faster.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the Liverpool scheme had the potential to be a “powerful new weapon” in the battle against Covid-19.
“These tests will help identify the many thousands of people in the city who don’t have symptoms but can still infect others without knowing,” he said.
“Dependent on their success in Liverpool, we will aim to distribute millions of these new rapid tests between now and Christmas and empower local communities to use them to drive down transmission in their areas.”
Health Minister Matt Hancock said it was the government’s ambition to use large-scale testing to deal with Covid-19.
“Mass testing will help us to control this virus, by finding it even before people get symptoms. I’m delighted we can now roll out mass testing to whole cities – starting with the city of Liverpool,” he said.
“Using half a million of the very latest rapid tests, this roll-out can help suppress the virus and give residents and workers some peace of mind.”
Liverpool’s mayor Joe Anderson said the region’s metro mayor Steve Rotheram had pushed for the testing to be rolled out in the city.
“During negotiations with central government, myself and Steve Rotheram have always highlighted the need for enhanced public health intervention measures in Liverpool and the wider city region, and we were keen that we should be considered for any new strategies to tackle the worrying rise in Covid-19,” said Mr Anderson, whose brother died after contracting coronavirus.
“We are pleased that our numerous conversations have resulted in Liverpool becoming a pilot for mass testing, which will help to quickly identify people who have the virus and reduce transmission substantially.
“We are seeing a slow reduction in figures in Liverpool which shows we are on the right path and residents and businesses are working together and following guidelines for the greater good."
Mr Johnson said on Monday that the best way out of the crisis was through quick testing.
"We have the immediate prospect of many millions of cheap, reliable and rapid turnaround tests with a result within minutes," he told parliament.
"These tests identify people who are infectious but do not have symptoms, allowing them to immediately self-isolate and stop the spread of the disease, and allowing those who are not infectious to continue as normal.”
Germany is also introducing a faster antigen test, although there are fears about its accuracy compared to the traditional PCR test.
“We have a new strategy,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Monday. “We can now basically perform rapid tests on visitors to nursing and care homes."
Slovakia has embarked on a campaign of rapidly testing nationwide, with around two thirds of its entire population having undergone the procedure at the weekend.
