Mass coronavirus testing in Northern Ireland being considered

By Rebecca Black and Michael McHugh, PA

The introduction of rapid mass coronavirus testing is being considered in Northern Ireland.

Stormont Health Minister Robin Swann said he has held discussions with Health Secretary Matt Hancock in recent days.

It comes after a mass testing initiative in Liverpool earlier this month.

“Mass testing is one of those new exciting initiatives and I don’t think here in Northern Ireland we should be lacking ambition when it comes to that rapid mass testing,” he told an Executive press conference on Wednesday.

Mr Swann said they have been looking at mass testing in care homes and work places, but said there is an opportunity to “look to the next step”.

“Where we could look at a greater population testing. It would be a large logistical challenge to try to achieve that. I have been in contact with Matt Hancock today,” he said.

“These tests are to be distributed out on the Barnett Consequential so what we’re asking him if he could forward pay Northern Ireland in some regard to the supply of some of those tests so that we could look at a more ambitious mass testing programme for Northern Ireland.

“There is an opportunity but it is how we use that and use it wisely.”

He said if not done across the entirety of Northern Ireland, there are a number of initiatives and smaller geographical areas they could look at.

“I don’t want to hamper our ambition but be realistic about the logistical challenge it would be,” he said, but warned not to see it as a “panacea or silver bullet for everything”.

“Our actions and restrictions are still our key armament against Covid.”

Mr Swann will bring a paper to the next meeting of the Executive on Thursday aimed at managing the virus.

He said he has been clear that there “will be a need for more restrictions between now and Christmas if we’re to get our health service through the winter pressures”.

The latest figures from the Department of Health on Wednesday showed an occupancy rate of 102% at hospitals in Northern Ireland.

There were 452 Covid-19 positive inpatients with 44 in intensive care units, and 166 active outbreaks at care homes.

Professor Ian Young, Stormont’s chief scientific adviser, said following the imposition of recent restrictions, the virus R rate had fallen to 0.8 for two weeks but was now close to one.

Professor Ian Young, Chief Scientific Advisor

He said: “The reduction in cases and in particular hospital bed occupancy is less than we had hoped for.”

Dr Michael McBride, chief medical officer, said lives and livelihoods had been transformed by the epidemic.

“R is slowing, the spread of infection, however not enough nor sufficient to get us through the challenges of the next few months,” he said.

He said there was a real prospect of being in a different place by next spring or summer due to vaccine development and rapid testing being pursued.

Earlier, it emerged that a further 11 people with Covid-19 have died in Northern Ireland.

The death toll recorded by the Department of Health now stands at 889.

There were also another 518 confirmed cases of the virus recorded in the previous 24-hour reporting period.

A total of 48,229 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland since the pandemic began.