Rapid Covid testing being rolled out to every London borough as capital is plunged into Tier 3

RAPID Covid testing is being rolled out to every borough of London as the capital is plunges into Tier 3 restrictions from midnight.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has revealed that all 32 boroughs are drawing up plans for quick-result community testing to be rolled out in the coming weeks.

The news comes just hours before London is thrown into the harshest set of restrictions from midnight tonight.

The aim of mass testing is to identify asymptomatic people who may be carrying the virus and passing it on without realising and then getting them to self-isolate.

COMMUNITY TESTING

Speaking to the Evening Standard Mr Hancock said: “Cases across London are growing rapidly and I know yesterday’s news will have come as a blow to many – particularly businesses.”

“But the people of London have shown incredible spirit throughout this pandemic and I know they will work together once again to get this virus under control.

“Over the coming weeks we will be rolling out community testing right across London and I urge people to come forward when it is made available.”

The rapid testing would see any Londoners that wish to be tested receive a positive or negative result in just minutes.

School fields and other areas of public land may be used as sites for rapid test centres.

Some London councils have already made plans, while others may take up to the New Year to get going.

‘TEST WHILE YOU SHOP’

More than 20 boroughs are currently using fast testing kits on a small scale with some 400,000 tests kits already ordered – enough for one in 20 Londoners to be tested.

Last week London mayor Sadiq Khan and council group leaders had agreed to ramp up community testing in some of the worst hit areas – which included 10 extra mobile testing units alongside 70 rapid test centres.

The new testing units are close to busy shopping areas so that people can “test-while-you-shop” and get results back within 30 minutes.

The London Fire Brigade have been deployed to help run testing sites at shopping centres in Westfield, Romford and Lakeside.

Extra testing over the weekend has already been taking place in Barking and Dagenham, Hackney and the City, Havering, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest.

Meanwhile thousands of schoolkids across London, Essex and Kent have been tested over the last week as part of a rapid drive to try to drive down another wave of the virus.

All kids aged 11 – 18 in secondary schools and colleges can access the tests – as well as teachers, staff and their families too.

LIVERPOOL

Similar systems have already been in place in other parts of the country.

Liverpool was the first place in England to trial the testing blitz last month in an attempt to bring the virus under control.

All of Liverpool’s 900,000 residents, including children, were offered weekly checks as part of Boris Johnson’s Operation Moonshot.

Soldiers were deployed to help administer the tests were helped bring down the cities rising ‘R’ rate and were used to test students before they headed home for christmas.

The South and West of Essex and the south of Hertfordshire will also be plunged into Tier 3 from 12.01am tonight.

Around 34 million people will be in Tier 3 and 21.5million in Tier 2.

London’s infection rate is still only 200 per 100,000, but Havering is one of the worst hotspots, with 471 per 100,000.