Covid-19: Liverpool One site boosts council efforts to test young people

A "healthy" percentage of those using the Liverpool One site were aged 18 to 29, the council said

Opening a testing site in a city centre shopping mall has boosted efforts to check Liverpool's young people for Covid-19, the council has said.

Liverpool City Council said more than 6,500 shoppers had used a lateral flow testing hub in Liverpool One since it opened on 5 December.

A spokeswoman said data from the site showed it had attracted many previously "hard to reach" 18 to 29 year olds.

She added that the council now planned to open a larger site in the centre.

The city was the first area in the government's top tier of coronavirus restrictions and piloted a city-wide voluntary testing programme during the November lockdown.

Government figures show the city had an infection rate of 137.9 cases per 100,000 people in the week up to 17 December, a number much lower than the rate of 467.8 case per 100,000 it had when it moved into tier three in October.

The council said the site in Liverpool One and another in the city's town hall, which also opened on 5 December, were aimed at people not experiencing any symptoms of Covid-19.

The spokeswoman said more than 8,600 people had been tested at the sites, with a "healthy" percentage of those being from the "18-29 year old demographic, which have been previously classed as a hard to reach group".

She said that while the exact number of positive tests was not available, the figure was "low".

She added that the success of the site on Upper South John Street meant plans were "in place to find a larger site within Liverpool One, which will hopefully open in early 2021".

Why not follow BBC North West on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram? You can also send story ideas to [e-mail]