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Coronavirus: Soldiers to man nearly 100 mobile COVID-19 testing units across UK

Written by on 26/04/2020

Nearly 100 mobile coronavirus testing units manned by 1,000 soldiers will hit the road this week as the government battles to meet its 100,000 tests a day target.

The aim is for each unit to carry out up to 300 tests a day at frontline sites such as residential care homes, police stations and prisons, benefits centres and fire stations.

Announcing the move, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said: “Our armed forces will help deliver testing to where it’s most needed, using a network of up to 96 mobile units that will be rolled out in the coming weeks.

“They will make sure our care sector get the testing required to remain in the frontline of the fight against this pandemic.”

The aim is to give essential workers and the most vulnerable people increased access to coronavirus tests.

The mobile testing will travel to wherever there is significant demand, according to the government.

The move is the government’s latest attempt to boost testing after Health Secretary Matt Hancock set the ambitious target of 100,000 tests a day – which many cabinet colleagues doubt can be met – by this Thursday 31 April.

“I’m now setting the goal of 100,000 tests per day by the end of this month,” Mr Hancock announced at a Downing Street news conference on 2 April.

“That is the goal and I’m determined we’ll get there.”

Outlining the army testing, Tory peer Lord Bethell, a junior health minister who is in charge of the government’s testing programme, said: “Everyone who needs a coronavirus test should be able to have access to one.

“New mobile testing units will travel the country to provide vital frontline workers with tests so those testing negative to safely return to work.

“We have built up capacity in the system with new testing facilities backed by Britain’s world-class scientists and industry partners. This means more workers can know if they have coronavirus if they have been demonstrating symptoms.

“Testing is key in our battle against coronavirus. We now have the ability to provide more people with the certainty they need to get back to the frontline when it is safe to do so.”

The government’s national testing coordinator, John Newton, added: “Across the country we are creating new infrastructure to rapidly increase our capacity to test for coronavirus.

“New mobile testing units will help us achieve our goal of 100,000 coronavirus tests a day, providing tests to vital frontline workers wherever they need them.

“In a matter of weeks we have worked with Britain’s leading scientists, academics and industry partners to build scores of new testing facilities and Britain’s largest network of diagnostic labs in history.

“Each day we are delivering more coronavirus tests, and allowing more frontline staff testing negative for the virus to safely return to work.”

Last week, the government announced other frontline workers would join the priority list for coronavirus testing, alongside the existing commitment to make sure patients and NHS staff are tested for the virus.

The government’s objective is to deploy 96 mobile testing units during the month of May – 92 will be staffed by the armed forces and a further four, located in Northern Ireland, will be operated by civilian contractors.

In a pilot scheme last week, Department of Health vehicles were refitted to become fully functioning testing sites, following a design developed by the Royal Engineers of the British Army.

As a result, the Department of Health says there are already eight mobile units carrying out tests across the country, including in Salisbury, Southport and Teesside.

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The government says its mobile facilities can be set up in under 20 minutes, allowing the testing of hundreds of people each day and are now travelling to those most in need and hard to reach.

Specially trained armed forces personnel will collect swabs at the mobile sites, before they are sent to mega-labs for processing.

Those tested will receive their results within 48 hours.

(c) Sky News 2020: Coronavirus: Soldiers to man nearly 100 mobile COVID-19 testing units across UK