Community testing: What is it and which areas are offering it?

‘Community testing is vital in helping to drive down infection rates’, says Matt Hancock

The government has announced the first wave of areas in England that will receive community testing.

From Monday 14 December, a total of 67 local authorities can launch community testing programmes to help curb the further spread of coronavirus.

When combined with existing measures, the government hopes the scheme will mean that tier 3 areas can begin to ease restrictions.

So, what exactly is community testing, where can you get it and is it mandatory? Here is everything you need to know.

What is community testing?

While the government already has a range of approaches to target the spread of Covid-19, up to a third of individuals who test positive for coronavirus have no symptoms at all and can therefore spread it unknowingly. That is why the testing of asymptomatic people is so important.

Community testing is a new tool to help identify and isolate individuals who have Covid-19 but do not have symptoms and may inadvertently be spreading the virus. Alongside the deployment of tests to NHS front-line staff, social care and other critical settings, testing of people within the community can help suppress coronavirus and offer communities a direct route out of the toughest restrictions.

The scheme uses rapid lateral flow devices to help identify those people who are infected but asymptomatic, so that the government can trace their contacts, support them to isolate and prevent transmission to others. Identifying infectious individuals early and isolating them can significantly reduce transmission of the virus and break transmission chains.

Which areas are offering it?

Earlier this year, pilots for community testing took place in Liverpool and Merthyr Tydfil, with both showing positive impact.

Now, the government has opened the community testing programme to all local authorities in England in tier 3. However, capacity constraints mean it will only be able to work with some in the first round. If successful, the programme can be expanded in 2021.

A total of 67 local authorities have been given approval to begin enhanced testing support programmes from Monday to drive down transmission rates in their areas, including:

• Amber Valley
• Bolsover
• Chesterfield
• Derbyshire Dales
• North East Derbyshire
• South Derbyshire
• Darlington
• Stockton on Tees
• Ashford
• Canterbury
• Dartford
• Dover
• Folkestone and Hythe
• Gravesham
• Maidstone
• Sevenoaks
• Swale
• Thanet
• Tonbridge and Malling
• Tunbridge Wells
• Medway
• Blackburn with Darwen
• Blackpool
• Burnley
• Chorley
• Fylde
• Hyndburn
• Lancaster
• Pendle
• Preston
• Ribble Valley
• Rossendale
• South Ribble
• West Lancashire
• Wyre
• Bolton
• Bury
• Manchester
• Oldham
• Rochdale
• Salford
• Stockport
• Tameside
• Trafford
• Wigan
• Barnsley
• Bradford
• Kirklees
• Birmingham
• Dudley
• Sandwell
• Cannock Chase
• East Staffordshire
• Lichfield
• Newcastle-under-Lyme
• South Staffordshire
• Stafford
• Staffordshire Moorlands
• Tamworth
• Stoke-on-Trent
• North Warwickshire
• Nuneaton and Bedworth
• Rugby
• Stratford-on-Avon
• Warwick
• Wolverhampton
• Solihull

More than 1.6 million lateral flow tests, which use similar technology to a pregnancy test and have a turnaround time of under an hour, will be immediately delivered for use with many more to follow.

How will the Community Testing Programme look?

The government has said that it will be for local areas in partnership with their directors of public health, and with the support of NHS Test and Trace, to design a programme that works for their local area.

Some examples of models that local areas may wish to consider include: Whole population testing of all asymptomatic individuals over 11 years old; Open access testing targeted at specific geographic areas, in particular those with high prevalence; Highly targeted testing focused on particular groups or communities at high risk or with high virus prevalence, such as particular age groups and highly targeted testing on specific locations, employment sectors, or workplaces where there is a high risk.

Is it mandatory?

Community testing cannot be mandatory. However, to get the most out of the scheme, levels of both turnout and compliance with self-isolation need to be high.

The more people test, and the more positive cases and their contacts isolate, the greater the reduction in prevalence, which may help an area move out of tier 3 restrictions.

You can read more about community testing here.