Covid-19: Redcar dropped from mass testing pilot

There is already an existing testing site in the borough

An area earmarked for a mass coronavirus testing pilot has been dropped from the programme.

It was announced last week that all 36,000 residents in Redcar would be offered a test whether they had symptoms or not.

Redcar and Cleveland Council council leader Mary Lanigan said the government had now "decided to prioritise Liverpool" for the study.

The Department of Health has been approached for comment.

Testing, assisted by military personnel, was due to begin on 23 November.

Ms Lanigan said the council had been "approached by the government about hosting the Whole Town Testing study, along with two other towns nationally".

"After discussions, it was agreed that the testing - supported by military personnel - would take place in Redcar later this month and we received initial briefings about the logistics required to take part in the study," she said.

The town's Conservative MP, Jacob Young, previously said Redcar had been "picked out of a hat" of similar-sized towns and the pilot was intended to help the government "get a better understanding of who has Covid and who doesn't".

All residents living in the TS10 postcode were to have been offered tests to be taken a number of times over 10 days.

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