When will Derbyshire get mass testing?

The lateral flow test can give a result in under 30 minutes and is credited as having enabled Liverpool to move from Tier 3 to Tier 2 after more than 1,000 positive cases were confirmed among residents with no symptoms.

However, with 41 per cent of people in England living under Tier 3 restrictions – about 23 million people – there are questions about how it will be logistically possible.

The Government has said a number of factors will be considered when deciding which areas to prioritise mass testing, including the state of the pandemic. This means those areas badly affected by the virus will likely take priority.

The number of new positive cases in Chesterfield, North East Derbyshire and High Peak continue to fall, casting doubt on whether the areas would be classed as a priority.

The government also wants to see “a robust plan” from the local council showing how it could make use of community testing, as well as “the capabilities that each local authority can bring to maximise the effectiveness of the scheme.”

Two-thousand members of the military helped facilitate mass testing in Liverpool - but such support won't be available everywhere, so councils must help bridge that gap.

The availability of suitable locations to set up test sites and ‘commercial considerations’ to ensure value for money will also be taken into account alongside the strength of partnerships between health authorities, Test & Trace, and local NHS Trusts.