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The government’s “operation moonshot” mass test pilot begins today in Liverpool amid reports that the rapid coronavirus test at the heart of the strategy missed more than 50 percent of positive cases in a Greater Manchester pilot. .
Everyone who lives or works in the city will be encouraged to get tested, even if they have no symptoms, as Boris Johnson bets on technological advances to enable a freer future.
In an address to the nation, the prime minister said he acknowledged that many were “anxious, tired and fed up” after another blockade was imposed on England. But he insisted that four weeks of restrictions should be enough to reduce the spread of the coronavirus.
Live updates
42,049 new symptomatic cases detected by application
The Zoe Covid Symptom Study app, run by King’s College London, suggests that there were 42,049 new daily symptomatic cases of Covid-19 in the UK on average over the two weeks to November 1 (excluding nursing homes).
The researchers behind the study said that the UK’s reproductive value, the R rate, is currently 1.0 and 1.0 in England.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s, said daily cases are declining in northern England and Scotland, and cases are generally moving in the “right direction.”
He said they are a “positive sign that we have passed the peak of this second wave,” adding: “We urge everyone to respect the restrictions and help reduce the number of cases as soon as possible to help the NHS end the lockdown. and get in good shape by December. “
Archbishop of Canterbury hopes the government will change direction in religious services
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he believes the ban on religious services “is likely to change before long.”
He told Good Morning Britain: “I have been going to church as usual since the last lockdown and it is the safest places you go. The people are well dispersed, they wear masks, they are all registered. They are really sensible about it.
“But they come together, they worship, they get the strength to serve and love their neighbors, and the church is doing phenomenal things in the country in the service of Jesus Christ, to show the love that God has for us and, before Christmas, it takes even more.
“So we all wrote to the government – we are not going to have a big fight with them – and we told them that we do not agree with you on the need to close churches.
“This is one of the things that holds people together. It gives them a true sense of purpose and changes the world. So, I think that will probably change in no time.
“The government has been very good, they are listening very carefully.”
378 more people die from Covid-19
The government said another 378 people had died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19 as of Thursday. This brings the UK total to 48,120.
Separate figures released by UK statistical agencies for deaths where Covid-19 has been mentioned on the death certificate, along with additional data on deaths that have occurred in recent days, show that there have now been around than 63,000 Covid-19-related deaths in the UK. .
The government said that, as of 9am Thursday, there had been another 24,141 laboratory-confirmed coronavirus cases in the UK. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to 1,123,197.
Skeptical Lockdown MPs React to Telegraph Message at Peak Covid Screenings
Sarah Knapton, Science Editor at The Telegraph, tweeted how the Government had “quietly reviewed” Covid’s peak projection.
Former Conservative MP Mark Harper, who voted against the second lockdown, called the story “deeply troubling” and called for greater parliamentary scrutiny of the data.
Citywide test pilot launched in Liverpool
A massive pilot of the Government’s “operation moonshot” begins in Liverpool today.
The two-week pilot plan will see half a million people offered regular tests, with 2,000 military personnel helping with logistics.
All people who live or work in the city will be encouraged to get tested for Covid-19 even if they have no symptoms.
If the pilot is successful, millions of the tests could be distributed before Christmas, Boris Johnson said.
He hopes that the massive testing campaign, using equipment that can deliver a result in a matter of minutes, can be a route out of the coronavirus crisis.
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