‘Test and dine’ pilot proposed in Birmingham to support struggling restaurants

Project could see diners in tier 3 areas able to visit outlets after testing negative for coronavirus

A new pilot project proposed in Birmingham could see restaurants in tier 3 areas able to open back up, despite coronavirus rules. 

Put forward by the Birmingham City Council, the proposed pilot would see diners able to visit a restaurant provided they have had a rapid coronavirus test. 

Currently, under tier 3 rules, restaurants and pubs can only operate as takeaway locations. 

Under this proposal, however, diners would be able to bypass that rule by obtaining a negative Covid-19 test within a six-hour time frame.

The plan would require approval from the government in order to move forward. 

However, it could present a new way to keep struggling businesses running during the pandemic, even under the tightest measures. 

According to Sky News, the proposal was first outlined by Councillor Ian Ward, the leader of Birmingham City Council, during a regional coronavirus briefing on Friday. 

If it is approved by the government, the pilot would start with a small number of restaurants. 

The eventual aim, however, is that the programme might be able to be extended to other aspects of public life, including the arts and entertainment industries. 

It is unclear if the government will approve the proposal. 

In a statement last month, Matt Hancock, the health and social care secretary, praised rapid testing, asserting that it would allow for the virus to be detected “quicker than ever before”.

However, since the pandemic began, experts have cautioned against relying too heavily on rapid testing as a way to open up shuttered economies. 

Speaking to Women’s Health  last month, Dr Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security, said “testing is something you can do to decrease your risk, but it’s not iron-clad”. 

“It decreases the uncertainty but it’s not going to eliminate it because you know that there’s an incubation period,” Dr Adalja said. 

“The fact that testing decreases risk is a good thing, but you have to remember it can't be used alone and you shouldn’t get a false sense of security from it.”