Mass testing in Liverpool

[MrsSiba]

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/everyone-liverpool-tested-covid-19-19210041

Announced that from Thursday everyone working or living in Liverpool will be tested under a pilot scheme for mass testing.

No compulsory isolation for anyone refusing a test.

I can't comprehend how this government will sort out the logistics of testing half a million people judging by the fiasco that is track and trace.

Half million live there but thousands commute! Don’t know anyone who’s volunteer if honest

@Ginogineli

Half million live there but thousands commute! Don’t know anyone who’s volunteer if honest

You don't think anybody will volunteer to get tested?

I live in Liverpool and I'm all for it, as are most of my family and friends in the area. I mean yes the short term fall out could be difficult to manage (potentially hundreds more people isolating) but if it means that we drive down figures faster then that's got to be a good thing.

Didn’t all residents of Bolton get a test when they had the highest cases? Blackburn could do with following this.

I can't comprehend how this government will sort out the logistics of testing half a million people judging by the fiasco that is track and trace.

It’s sweet that the government believe in themselves enough to try something of this scale. Bless ‘em.

I want this to be a success, I really do, but for it to work the government need to have the people on side, and this government have lost the people.

This is Moonshot 1 is it not?

I think the idea is that nigh on everyone ges tested with new rapid test.

If negative, it does not mean that you are not incubating it (hence need for repeat, frequent testing), it just means you do not have virus at detectable levels when you trested.

Risk of increase to detectable levels (which is also roughly when you start to test positive) rises over time - probably negligible in the next few hours, but rising, so test every day.

So the community should be safer, as cases will be spotted no later than when they become symptomatic (rather than as it is now, no earlier). And frequent repeat testing means you get everyone who is moving round the city, not just residents

People will do it because it will become a condition of entry

Just seen a different account - says 2 weeks between rounds of testing. Hmm, not sure that will be often enough.

But in terms of rolling it out well, that will happen. Why? The Army is doing it

@PaperMonster

Didn’t all residents of Bolton get a test when they had the highest cases? Blackburn could do with following this.

I suspect you may have imagined this!

Oh come on now test and trace are doing ok. They messaged me yesterday to tell me DH tested positive. It may have taken them 9 days after his positive test but they got there in the end.

Preston did similar

High cases led to more testing - pop up units everywhere to drive down transmission

But this led to moe positives and more restrictions

Nice for Xmas!

I'm in Salford, I can't remember how many months ago we were supposed to be having some pilot of mass testing. I'll believe it when I see it.

Don’t know anyone who’s volunteer if honest
Do you mean that you dont know anyone who has volunteered? Because noone has been contacted yet. Or do you mean you think noone will volunteer? Because I think you are very wrong on that point

I'm in the Liverpool area and thankfully rates are now declining rapidly. Anything that can reduce this further can only be a good thing. Apparently a town in Italy outside Venice eradicated the virus this way with 3 rounds of testing and it has been successfull on a bigger scale in places like Wuhan. Whether this shambles of a government is able to execute this is a different matter entirely.

Also in Liverpool here. I think a lot of people will get tested because everyone wants out of restrictions soon.

I think there will be high compliance in the priority groups

No matter what happens it’ll be a valuable learning experience and the more we know about what works and what doesn’t then the sooner we can be out of this. It’s a pilot and pilots are as much about what doesn’t work as what does.

PP I don’t think Bolton tested everyone but there was high levels of testing

But this led to moe positives and more restrictions

Nice for Xmas!

It doesnt lead to more positives. It leads to more positives being detected, instead of someone asymptomatic continuing to spread the virus. It can therefore be contained so less people are infected. So yes, it would be good for Xmas!

It won’t happen in time for Xmas tho!

It’ll take months to roll out those tests so loads of isolations

Xmas is only what 7 weeks away? Don’t get me wrong it’s a great idea but no way wil it benefit us in time for Xmas

Many of us will be isolating and god help all those unpaid like in my workplace

Good idea if you are wfh or retired, not so if you don't get paid if isolating, who would volunteer for that. Not all low paid get the £500

I couldn't afford to volunteer. If I had no symptoms (so normally wouldn't be given a test), but tested positive, I couldn't afford to not work for 2 weeks. I wouldn't qualify for the £500 payment. I suspect that I would not be alone in feeling this way.

Rates are already declining quite quickly in Liverpool which the govt will say is as a result of tier 3 restrictions so why have they been chosen. Surely it makes more sense to pick a place were cases are increasing and try and curb it there.
The test that is used is not 100% accurate so there will be people who end up having to isolate without even having a virus.

They are changing isolation rules to 7 days.

I suppose everyone will be in a different position re pay depending on their employer

Rates are already declining quite quickly in Liverpool which the govt will say is as a result of tier 3 restrictions so why have they been chosen. Surely it makes more sense to pick a place were cases are increasing and try and curb it there

I was wondering this. Every day Liverpool rates are declining rapidly and we are falling further down the tables. Surely it would make more sense to try and curb rates somewhere rising rapidly. I think it takes the government so long to make decisions due to internal wrangling that they are always behind the curve

@XiCi they've used figures from early October to justify the lockdown starring on Nov 5th so I do think you are right about them being behind. They need to start using current data and accurate projections. The current modellers don't seem to be doing their job well at all. Chris Whitty and Patrick Valance are answering questions on that today - hopefully they will be thoroughly interrogated but I won't hold my breath!

I agree that many will agree to testing. Enough anyway.
The self isolation if positive will be interesting but will also largely happen

Not anyone can just get tested they are prioritising NHS, emergency workers, care workers, teachers etc not any Tom Dick or Harry who's retired or WFH can volunteer. What's the point testing people mainly at home anyway, they'll test the people who are conversing with the public who are more likely to catch and spread the virus asymptomatically

I hope it works. They should do every city and large town.

@XiCi

They are changing isolation rules to 7 days.

I suppose everyone will be in a different position re pay depending on their employer

When was the 7 days announced, is it just for Liverpool?