Covid-19: Norfolk rolls outs rapid asymptomatic testing

Lateral flow tests give a result within 30 minutes

Rapid asymptomatic testing sites are being set up in areas of Norfolk where coronavirus is more prevalent.

Symptom-free residents can get a test in King's Lynn, Hunstanton, north Great Yarmouth, Caister, Hemsby and Scratby next week, the county council said.

Sites in south Norfolk and Norwich would follow, it added.

Director of public health Dr Louise Smith said two recent pilots in Norfolk revealed six asymptomatic cases - equivalent to 0.2% of tests.

"One in three people with coronavirus have no symptoms, which means they can be spreading the virus without knowing," she added.

"These rapid tests help us to find these people so that we can break the train of transmission."

Having been piloted in King's Lynn and Great Yarmouth, the testing will now be rolled out to other districts where the virus is most widespread.

"The aim is to identify those who might be carrying and spreading the virus without knowing it, so that we can help reduce the spread," said Dr Smith.

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Rapid-turnaround lateral flow tests provide results within 30 minutes.

Further symptom-free testing sites will open across the county in the coming weeks and will be targeted at areas where the virus is spreading or where there is greater risk of transmission, the county council said.

Meanwhile, there were 1,760 cases in the week up to 6 February, 718 fewer than the preview week.

The infection rate in Norfolk as a whole is 194 cases per 100,000 people, down from 273 in the week up to 30 January. All districts in Norfolk saw a drop in cases.

The number of Covid patients in hospital as of 9 February was 461, a reduction of 115 since 2 February.

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