Which areas will receive rapid turnaround Covid tests in our region?
The government will send more than 100,000 new rapid coronavirus tests to health officials across the North East.
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.
12 council areas across the region will be sent 10,000 test kits this week. Local directors of public health will be responsible for deciding how and who to prioritise with 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.
What is lateral flow testing?
A sample — ideally saliva for speed and ease — is applied to a strip of blotting paper-like substrate that’s been impregnated with synthetic antibodies that bind to the virus.
Flowing along the substrate they then bind to other antibodies which change colour, giving an easy-to-read result if the virus is present.
The councils across Northumberland, Tyneside, Wearside and County Durham welcomed the lateral flow tests and say it could be an opportunity to "relax" some of the restrictions on people's lives.
The following statement was released by the LA7 on today’s Government announcement about LFD testing:
“Lateral flow antigen testing is a useful addition to our existing testing arrangements with the quick response it provides.
This could create an opportunity to relax some of the physical and emotional barriers our residents have faced throughout the pandemic and it is one we are determined to capitalise on.
We await further guidance and clarity from government and once we have that we will work with our partners about how best to roll out these tests to make a real difference in our communities. We will be making further announcements in due course.
We have been pressing the Government for greater control over test and trace, and we will continue to do so, but we certainly welcome today’s announcements.”
The testing is being rolled out after an initial trial run in Liverpool.
The tests have been available since Friday for people who live and work in Liverpool, whether an individual has symptoms or not.
The trial saw huge uptake, with long queues forming at testing centres in the city.
Liverpool’s director of public health, Matt Ashton, on Saturday said the mass testing was showing positive signs after thousands of people were tested on the first day.
The programme aims to test up to 50,000 people a day once fully operational, he added.
The Department for Health has released the following list of areas to receive rapid turnaround tests for our region:
County Durham
Darlington
Gateshead
Hartlepool
Middlesbrough
Newcastle upon Tyne
North Tyneside
Northumberland
Redcar and Cleveland
South Tyneside
Stockton-on-Tees
Sunderland