No immediate plans for Leeds to join Tier 3 and Tier 4 large-scale community testing rollout says council - despite Matt Hancock's urges

The government has announced that all authorities under Tier 3 and Tier 4 restrictions, and those in Tier 2 at risk of moving up, are invited to apply for large-scale community testing.

Leeds Council is not one of the further 17 local authorities that are going to receive the testing after its Director of Public Health said there are no immediate plans to get the testing for the city.

Victoria Eaton, Leeds City Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “Leeds is working very closely with the Department of Health to further build on our comprehensive testing programme across the city.

“We will continue to expand testing in Leeds, as part of our overall approach to keeping infections as low as possible over the winter months.

"As well as all our community testing sites across the city for people with symptoms, we already have large-scale testing programmes for students, as well as in the NHS and care homes.

"We will continue to extend testing to more key workers over the next few weeks and into the New Year.”

Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, has urged members of the public to take a test if they are offered one by local public health teams.

He said: “Working together we will help areas where levels of the virus are highest to reduce their infection rates and break the chains of transmission.

“Roughly one in three people with coronavirus show no symptoms and so it’s essential we broaden testing to help identify those who are infected and infectious, unaware they may be spreading the disease.

“We are rolling out community testing more widely at a rapid pace, with 123 areas now planning to take part.

“If you are offered community testing in your local area, I would strongly encourage you to take up this opportunity to get tested and protect your local community.”

The areas announced on Wednesday are Boston (Tier 3), Calderdale (Tier 3), City of Bristol (Tier 2), County Durham (Tier 3), Coventry (Tier 3), Gateshead (Tier 3), Hartlepool (Tier 3), Lincoln (Tier 3), Newcastle (Tier 3), North Somerset (Tier 2), North Tyneside (Tier 3), Northumberland (Tier 3), Redcar and Cleveland (Tier 3), South Gloucestershire (Tier 3), South Tyneside (Tier 3), Sunderland (Tier 3) and Walsall (Tier 3).

The 17 new areas will join 106 others that have already signed up to roll out rapid community testing in December and January,

Public Health England (PHE) scientists at Porton Down have confirmed that lateral flow tests have “successfully detected samples” of the new variant of Covid-19, which is spreading rapidly in London and South East England. The new strain is said to be 70 per cent more infectious than previous mutations.