Covid-19 Update

Baroness Pidding Excerpts
Wednesday 1st July 2020

(4 years, 1 month ago)

Lords Chamber
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Baroness Pidding Portrait Baroness Pidding (Con) [V]
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My Lords, as we have sadly seen in Leicester, it is clear that this virus still lives in our communities. We know that testing is key in helping to keep the pandemic under control. Does the Minister agree that anyone who has been in close contact with someone testing positive for coronavirus should be able to get a test, whether they have symptoms or not? At present, this is not the case. In Buckinghamshire, for example, there is only one testing facility that offers this.

Lord Bethell Portrait Lord Bethell
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I reassure my noble friend that anyone who has reason to believe that they may have been infected by the virus is eligible for the test. The resources we have put into testing are now enormous. There are nearly 300,000 tests a day. Those in Buckinghamshire who are too far away from the drive-in testing facility should apply for an at-home testing kit.