First mass testing sites to open

Alongside the vaccine, mass testing is seen as the Government’s biggest weapon in the fight to bring down infection rates across Kent.

The county’s first sites will be launched tomorrow in Swale and Thanet, before more are rolled out across the region. What distinguishes them from normal testing sites is that they will invite people without symptoms to be swabbed, and not just those showing signs of having the virus.

The first two will open at the Working Men’s Club in Sheerness and Ramsgate Port, given the prevalence of Covid-19 in both areas in the last couple of months. Swale’s infection rate remains the highest in the UK.

KCC’S director of public health, Andrew Scott-clark, said: “As many as one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and could be spreading it without realising it.

“We want to identity as many positive cases as possible, especially those who may not have any symptoms and are unknowingly transmitting the virus. “We will ask anyone who tests positive to stay at home for 10 days and self-isolate, to help break the chain of transmission. This is vitally important to stop Covid-19 from spreading in the community, particularly to people who could become very sick if they catch the virus.” People will be invited for a test by letter or email.

They will receive their result within half-an-hour of being swabbed. Staff have been recruited to the sites using funding from central Government to support local councils in Tier 3. Mass testing will eventually be offered to people in the Canterbury district. Dates and venues have yet to be confirmed.