The Government has announced 96 military-run mobile coronavirus testing units will travel around the UK to increase access to testing for social care staff and other key workers.
Under the scheme, specially trained armed forces personnel will collect swabs at the mobile sites – which can be set up in around 20 minutes and test hundreds of people a day – which will then be sent to laboratories for processing, and those tested will receive results within 48 hours.
UK operators have previously criticised the lack of testing available in aged care homes, saying it is putting residents and staff at risk.
The units will respond to areas of highest demand, testing frontline workers and vulnerable groups at sites including aged care homes, police stations, prisons and fire and rescue services.
Niall Dickson, the CEO of NHS Confederation, said the inclusion of aged care homes was important because the current testing sites are too reliant on having access to a car.
The UK Government says it wants to be conducting 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April (this week).
The news follows the announcement last week that all other frontline workers would join the priority list for COVID-19 testing.
