Covid-19: Rapid testing offered in Leicestershire after initial snub

Leicestershire has been added to a list of areas selected for mass Covid-19 testing after health bosses were left "frustrated and confused"
at initially being left off.

The government announced on Tuesday more than 60 locations would be sent thousands of rapid result tests.

The county council confirmed it would now receive the tests after having lost out to areas with lower rates at first.

The government said the list had been drawn up based on Covid-19 prevalence.

Nick Rushton, leader of Leicestershire County Council, said: "This is good news. We've had a productive conversation with government leads
and are pleased to be included on the list.

"I'm grateful to those MPs who supported our case.

"Like other areas, we want to try every means possible to defeat the virus and enable life to become more normal.

"Given our early application and rates, it was surprising we weren't named initially but this is a helpful outcome and means we can roll out
the tests in hotspot areas."

Leicester and parts of Leicestershire were made subject to the UK's first local lockdown restrictions in June.

Since then, infection rates in the city and county have been overtaken by other parts of England but Leicester and the boroughs of
Charnwood and Oadby and Wigston still fall within the top 60.

When the list was announced on Tuesday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock spoke of the areas having expressed an interest in mass testing.

Leicestershire County Council said the government invited authorities to apply on 21 October, with the council expressing their interest
a day later.

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