MKFM can exclusively reveal that a mass coronavirus testing pilot will take place in Milton Keynes following a rise in infections in the city.
Milton Keynes Council will receive 22,000 rapid turnaround lateral flow tests with key workers such as the police and social care workers on the initial priority list.
Ben Everitt, the MP for Milton Keynes North, and Iain Stewart, the MP for Milton Keynes South, called on the council to take advantage of mass testing back in November and have welcomed the news this will now take place.
Ben, who has been liaising with the army personnel involved in mass testing, said: “I’m really pleased Milton Keynes has been selected as one of the pilot areas for the mass lateral flow testing scheme."
“With rates of COVID-19 continuing to rise in MK and around one in three people infected having no symptoms it’s vital we test as many people as possible as quickly as possible."
“I will be continuing to work with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure MK gets the resources it needs to fight the virus and we must all do our bit and remember hands, face, space. The vaccine is here, mass testing is here, we have hope.”
Iain commented: “This is really important news. We’ve seen rates across Milton Keynes continue to rise and by identifying people with coronavirus we can drive down transmission across the city which will help protect the NHS and save lives."
“We called for mass testing plans to be put in place by the Council back in November and I’m relieved the Department of Health and Social Care has now rolled out the pilot scheme here.”
