Coronavirus: Screening

(asked on 16th December 2020) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress has been made on mass testing in tier 3 areas; and if he will make a statement.


Answered by
Helen Whately Portrait
Helen Whately
Minister of State (Department of Health and Social Care)
This question was answered on 23rd February 2021

The community testing programme was launched in December 2020 with the aim of using asymptomatic testing to find and isolate positive cases within the community in order to help reduce the spread of the virus. The current focus of community testing is on those who have to leave home to work during lockdown, with local authorities able to focus on the right people in their areas and decide how the testing is best delivered.
Community led testing forms an important part of our overall asymptomatic testing programme in identifying and isolating cases to break the chains of transmission. We have expanded the eligibility of community led testing to all local authorities across England. As part of this expansion, all participating local authorities will be able to deliver testing over a longer period of time, moving away from a six-week intervals to constant delivery until the end of March.

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