A Tory MP has said mass Covid-19 testing will be carried out by the Army in his constituency.
Redcar is one of three towns picked by the Government for a voluntary mass-testing project next month, local MP Jacob Young said.
People living in the TS10 postcode area will be invited to be tested regularly over a 10-day period, starting on November 23, using the spit test method which should take 30 minutes to give a result.
The Army will be drafted in to help set up the mass-testing programme, creating sites, but they will not be going door-to-door, Mr Young said.
People with and without symptoms will be urged to get a test, he said, allowing the authorities to get a better picture of the spread of the virus.
Mr Young said Redcar was picked along with two other towns, which he did not name, that have a population of around 30-40,000.
He said: “We will be getting a better understanding of who has coronavirus and who doesn’t.
“At the moment someone could be walking down the street not having any symptoms of coronavirus but passing it on to other people.
“This testing programme will allow us to identify those people, help them self-isolate and therefore reduce the spread.
“If we want to get rid of these restrictions we are in as soon as possible, this is one of the key ways we are going to do that.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here