Star date: 3rd September 2020

SALFORD CHOSEN AS PILOT FOR COVID-19 RAPID RESULT TEST TRIAL

Salford has 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus bringing the cumulative total to 1,845. There have been no new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, Salford has been chosen to pilot a new quick saliva-based test in the community as part of a £500million scheme. The Government claims that "chains of transmission will be broken almost immediately by delivering on-the-spot results".

Full details here...

Salford has 13 new confirmed cases of coronavirus bringing the cumulative total to 1,845, up from the previous day's 1,832.

Elsewhere in Greater Manchester, cases in Manchester rose to 4,369 (up from 4,338), followed by Oldham with 2,968 (up from 2,945), Wigan 2,339 (up from 2,335), Bolton 2,455 (up from 2,429), Rochdale 2,295 (up from 2,277), Stockport 2,000 (up from 1,990), Tameside 1,966 (up from 1,956), Trafford 1,718 (up from 1,709) and Bury 1,608 (up from 1,603).

There have been no new virus-related deaths at Salford Royal Hospital.

Meanwhile, the Government has chosen Salford for a quick COVID-19 testing pilot scheme to 'assess the benefits of repeat population testing' as part of a new £500million investment. 

"Saliva-based testing will be used to test the community in Salford, Greater Manchester, in the coming weeks" states the Government's Department of Health and Social Care "Working with Salford Council, local health partners and voluntary and community-based networks, some people living in Salford will be invited for a weekly test. The pilot will explore how regular repeat testing can be made as accessible as possible and will inform how to scale community testing across the country.

"The pilot will begin with a select number of participants and up to 250 tests a day, to be scaled to the whole area" it adds "Initially, the pilot will focus on a specific high footfall location in the city, which includes retail, public services, transport and faith spaces. Weekly tests will help to identify cases early, including for those with no or minor symptoms, allowing those testing positive to self-isolate."

Existing trials in Southampton and Hampshire, using a saliva test and a rapid 20-minute test, will also be expanded.

"Testing is a vital line of defence in combating this pandemic" says Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock "Over the past six months we have built almost from scratch one of the biggest testing systems in the world. We need to use every new innovation at our disposal to expand the use of testing, and build the mass testing capability that can help suppress the virus and enable more of the things that make life worth living. We are backing innovative new tests that are fast, accurate and easier to use and will maximise the impact and scale of testing, helping us to get back to a more normal way of life.

"I am hugely grateful for the work being done on this national effort to strengthen our ability to tackle this virus" he adds "While we work on a vaccine we must innovate our way out of this crisis."

At yesterday's press conference, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called for local councils to be "in the driving seat" of coronavirus control, and this Salford pilot looks to be a big step in that direction...

For full details of the Greater Manchester Leaders press conference – click here