Leicestershire County Council Receives 16,000 Lateral Flow Test Kits Amid Tiers and Vaccine Progress

Strategic Insights -

Leicestershire County Council has received its first batch of 16,000 lateral flow test kits, just as Harborough district entered the toughest Tier 3 Covid-19 zone. The arrival of these kits comes as the rate of infection is dropping sharply across Harborough, and as the UK's regulators approved Pfizer/BioNTech's Covid-19 vaccine for use. The vaccine, which the Government has ordered in the quantity of 40 million doses, could be made available from next week in a significant boost ahead of Christmas and the New Year.

Key Takeaways:

  • Leicestershire County Council has received 16,000 lateral flow test kits to assist with asymptomatic testing in the county.
  • The kits are designed to provide a test result within an hour without the need for lab processing, focusing on high-risk groups and outbreak areas.
  • The tests will target electoral wards with the highest rates, as well as vulnerable members of the population, critical services, and staff in the education sector.
  • Lateral flow testing will be used to bring the Covid-19 virus under control and protect vulnerable individuals, particularly those in supported living settings, residential homes for older people, and other areas with high infection rates.
  • Leicestershire County Council's director of public health, Mike Sandys, has emphasized the importance of testing and tracing, stating that testing high-risk groups and identifying cases quickly is crucial in breaking the chain of infection.
  • The focus of the council's test and trace teams has been to contact and offer support to vulnerable people, providing advice, isolating individuals, and connecting families with community hubs.
  • Up to 216 people per 100,000 in Harborough had fallen ill with Covid-19 up to November 25, with a 25% decrease in infection rate from one week to the next.
  • County council leader Nick Rushton welcomed the arrival of the test kits, stating that Leicestershire is now at the forefront of expanding asymptomatic testing across the country.

Statistics:

  • 16,000 lateral flow test kits have been delivered to Leicestershire County Council as of Wednesday.
  • The rate of infection in Leicestershire stood at 193.7 per 100,000 for the period from November 19 to 25.
  • The national average was 175.8 per 100,000 for the same period.
  • Leicestershire's weekly infection rate for Harborough up to November 25 was 216 per 100,000, down 25% on the previous week's rate of 294 per 100,000.
  • The Government has ordered 40 million doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech Covid-19 vaccine.

Sources:

  • Leicestershire County Council
  • [No specific date]
  • "Covid-19: Lateral flow tests to help Leicestershire residents get tested at home" by Red Williams
  • [No specific date]