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The UK’s coronavirus testing system, long a source of embarrassment to ministers, could get a big boost with millions of new rapid-response tests, Boris Johnson has said.
The prime minister said at a press conference on Friday that the country is developing the capacity to manufacture millions of tests, some of which could give results from saliva samples in just 15 minutes.
Johnson said: “Scientists and companies in Britain and around the world have been developing new tests that are faster, easier and cheaper.
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“Although there is work to be done, in recent weeks it has become clear that some of these new tests are very effective and can help us save lives and jobs during the winter.
“We have already purchased millions of these tests, some of which are very simple, which means you simply need to clean the swab inside your mouth and it can give a result in as little as 15 minutes,” he added.
“We have started to build the infrastructure for the domestic manufacture of these tests, ensuring that Britain has the capacity to produce millions of rapid tests here.
“In the coming weeks we will begin to distribute and test these tests throughout the country,” he said, adding that some of the rapid tests are already being used in hospitals.
He said they would help save lives and prevent the spread of the disease among medical workers, nursing homes and those working in education.
Test and Trace has been one of the most criticized aspects of government management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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From the beginning, there was controversy over the number of people being tested, with Health Secretary Matt Hancock pledging 100,000 a day by the end of April.
That goal was hit, but it turned out that some of it was evidence that had been published or delivered to people’s homes in their figures, rather than completed.
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In July, Whitehall admitted that there was a significant double count in early testing statistics, saying the total number of cases in the UK was 30,000 fewer than its original data claimed.
That was one of several cases in which numbers were removed or added to the published figures.
In its early months, both the test system and the data produced by it were simply “not fit for purpose”a senior official told Sky News.
More criticism was leveled at ministers for the Test and Trace mobile phone app, which has had several initial problems.
Initially, the government chose to build its own before scrapping it and going the route taken by countries like Ireland, Germany and Italy using technology from Apple and Google.
It was finally launched last month, six months after the UK went into lockdown.
On Thursday, Sky News revealed that the government has been paying a five-person team of management consultants. £ 25,000 a day to work on that part of the system.
Johnson said he had warned that UK areas with “very high” alert levels should be “immediately prioritized” for rapid response testing, but cautioned that a “cautious” approach should be taken with new technology.
“Over time we want to use tests to keep more parts of the economy open that have sadly been closed, but it is crucial that we make sure that those systems work safely,” he said.
“I have to tell you that it will take time to get this right before many organizations can purchase and operate these tests themselves.”
