A RAPID testing scheme is being piloted in Cheshire East this week – with 10,000 kits available to test specific groups across the borough.

The scheme uses lateral flow testing for people without Covid symptoms, which takes 30 minutes to produce a result that is then sent by email or text within an hour.

Cheshire East Council volunteered to take part in the pilot programme and has chosen vulnerable groups and willing volunteers to take part.

Dr Matt Tyrer, director of public health for CEC, said: “These pilots are invaluable to our learning about Covid-19, the testing process and how we roll out bigger scale tests to best serve our residents in Cheshire East.

“The testing kits are good for helping to find people who aren’t showing Covid-19 symptoms provided that they are administered properly.

“That is why we are currently carrying out focussed training and pilot testing of the kits in different settings.

Knutsford Guardian: Dr Matt TyrerDr Matt Tyrer

“This will enable us to deliver an effective screening programme to identify people who are asymptomatic.”

The pilot will be carried out by six groups:

• 300 Cheshire Fire and Rescue Service employees, to determine the right logistics and test frequency to protect frontline staff, potentially helping to reduce the number of staff who have to self-isolate

• East Cheshire Hospice staff who are not covered by the national programme

• Staff and service users at supported living sites in Cheshire East

• Early help and prevention workers at Cheshire East Council

• A ‘swab squad’ of trained testers in year 12 at Congleton High School, to potentially minimise time missed from class through self-isolation, and

• Springfield School, where the aim is to reduce the amount of time extremely vulnerable children are out of their routine.

It is then expected that the council will receive enough kits in the new year to be able to test 10 percent of the Cheshire East population every week.

Dr Tyrer added: “The test is quick to take and provides rapid results in just 30 minutes. This means that when a negative result is received that person can go about their normal day and not have to isolate whilst waiting for results.

“During busy testing periods it can take up to 72 hours to receive the results of traditional tests who have to be sent to labs.

“A positive lateral flow test does however require a second test in order to confirm the positive result. This must be a traditional one offered at testing sites.

“Although this is an inconvenience it doesn’t affect the 10-day isolation start date, which will commence after the lateral flow positive result itself.”

The roll out of these rapid tests in Cheshire East does not replace the need for social distancing measures, good hand hygiene and the wearing of face masks.