Britain to fund expansion of rapid COVID-19 test trials
LONDON (Reuters) - Britain is putting 500 million pounds ($666 million) into trials of rapid COVID-19 tests and into population-testing for the disease, the health ministry said on Thursday.
Health minister Matt Hancock has said he hopes mass testing using faster COVID-19 tests can be rolled out towards the end of the year, adding that they are key to restoring freedoms after months of COVID-19 restrictions.
The funding will be used to expand existing trials of saliva tests and a rapid 20-minute test in southern England, while a new, community trial in Salford, northwest England, will assess the benefit of population-testing, under which people are regularly tested regardless of whether they have symptoms, so that any cases can be picked up before they have spread widely.
"Innovative new tests that are fast, accurate and easier to use will maximise the impact and scale of testing, helping us to get back to a more normal way of life," Hancock said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/britain-to-fund-expansion-of-rapid-covid-19-test-trials/ar-BB18EjPS?li=BBnb7Kz
Meanwhile Donald Trump whines, "Stop the testing. It's making me look bad!"