Army to airlift vaccine to remote areas

THE Army will use Chinook helicopters and Land Rovers to deliver vaccinations to remote areas.

Up to 1,500 troops will join around 150 mobile vaccination teams for Operation Delta Force that will see sports clubs and race courses transformed into vaccination centres.

Some troops may also be deployed to Nightingale Hospitals to help alleviate rising pressure on the NHS.

In total, more than 5,000 Armed Forces personnel have been deployed to support the Covid- 19 response, in the biggest homeland operation in peacetime. They are providing assistance in various tasks, including 1,500 helping with schools testing.

A Vaccine Quick Reaction Force is being established in England, involving more than 150 service personnel. They start training today and will be assigned to 21 teams to support the roll- out.

Some 800 Army personnel are also preparing to carry out asymptomatic testing of high- risk people in Manchester.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:

“Thousands of service personnel are working throughout the United Kingdom, wherever they are needed to assist the civil authorities.

“Manchester is the latest of those tasks and will be an important contribution to protecting the highest risk groups as the city seeks to recover.”

Lt Gen Sir Tyrone Urch, Commander Standing Joint Commander UK, said: “I am humbled by the sacrifice and dedication of all our people from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force as we continue to contribute to our nation’s fight against the coronavirus.”