- Two new Lighthouse Labs to be set up in
Newcastle and Bracknell, increasing capacity by tens of thousands
- Weekly data from NHS Test and Trace shows
testing continues to increase each week
- 20 new testing sites opening across
the country for this week
Two new Lighthouse Labs in Newcastle and Bracknell will join the
largest network of diagnostic testing facilities created in
British history to help scale up testing capacity ahead of
winter.
Weekly data from the 15th week of operation of NHS
Test and Trace shows that 27% more people have received a test
for the first time this week and repeat testing in care homes
continues.
The new Lighthouse Labs follow the previous announcements of
others in Newport and Charnwood, which will scale testing
capacity to help deliver 500,000 tests per day by the end of
October.
The four new labs come on top of ongoing work to build capacity
at existing Lighthouse and partner lab facilities. Measures taken
include recruitment of hundreds of additional staff and new
technology to boost the number of tests processed. Surge
laboratories will continue to maximise testing as demand rises. A
further 20 new testing sites are opening across the country this
week, increasing the number of local booking slots available
throughout England.
New labs in Newcastle and Bracknell will help increase capacity
by tens of thousands, gradually increasing the number of tests
they can process over the coming months. Newcastle will be able
to deliver 80,000 tests per day by the end of March, and
Bracknell 40,000 tests per day by February.
NHS Test and Trace has reached a record number of positive cases
this week with more than 12,800 people testing positive sharing
their recent contacts. This is the result of a 74% increase in
positive cases being transferred to the system since the previous
week.
Contact tracers continue to reach the vast majority of those
contacts identified, with 83.9% of those with contact information
successfully advised to self isolate in the latest week.
Interim Executive Chair of the National Institute for
Health Protection Baroness Dido Harding said:
“We are working tirelessly to boost testing capacity so that
everyone who needs a test can get one. Each day, around 200,000
people are successfully booking and taking tests and we are
growing our capacity to 500,000 tests across the UK by the end of
October, with more and more capacity being added each week.
“I cannot stress enough how important it is that only those with
symptoms book tests. The service is there for those experiencing
a high temperature, new continuous cough or loss or change in
sense of taste or smell. If you don’t have symptoms but think, or
have been told by NHS Test and Trace that you have been in
contact with someone with the virus, please stay at home but do
not book a test. We need everyone to help make sure that tests
are there for people with symptoms who need them.”
From today a new dedicated helpline will be available for
nurseries, schools and colleges to seek advice if they have a
confirmed positive coronavirus case in their setting. The
helpline will inform educational settings of what action is
needed in response to a confirmed case from the latest public
health advice and work through a risk assessment. Where
necessary, complex cases will be escalated to health protection
teams to provide further support. Usually, full closure will not
be necessary, but some individuals may need to self-isolate if
they have had close contact with the confirmed case.
Demand is being increased in part by a large number of people
without symptoms booking tests. The guidance – and the clear
advice of public health experts – is that you should not book a
test if you do not have symptoms, unless advised to do so by a
public health professional. Anyone who is self-isolating because
they have had close recent contact with someone who has tested
positive must self-isolate for the full 14-day period.
Tests can be booked via www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or
119, with new booking slots made available throughout
the day. A number of tests continue to be reserved for NHS staff
and essential workers experiencing virus symptoms.
The weekly statistics from the 15th week of NHS Test and
Trace show in the most recent week of operations (3 – 9
September):
- Testing capacity increased by 2% from the
previous week to 1,612,543 (pillars 1 and 2) across the UK
- 82.6% of people who tested positive and
were transferred to the contact-tracing system were reached and
asked to provide information about their contacts
- 83.9% of contacts where communication
details were given have been reached and told to self-isolate
- pillar 1 testing capacity was at 575,043,
the same as the previous week
- pillar 2 testing capacity was at
1,037,500, an increase of 4% since the previous week
- pillar 3 testing capacity was at 840,000,
the same as the previous week
- pillar 4 testing capacity was at 72,700, a
decrease of 12% since the previous week
Statistics from the 15th week of operation of NHS Test
and Trace show that since the service launched:
- 417,296 people have been reached by the
service. This includes both those testing positive and their
contacts
- 86.6% of all contacts where communication
details were given have been reached and told to self-isolate
