Some 2,000 British Army troops have been deployed to Liverpool in northwest England to kick off a pilot programme to test the city’s 500,000 inhabitants for Covid-19.
About 2,000 British troops arrived at Pontins Southport on the outskirts of Liverpool on 5 November to help test the city’s residents and workers for Covid-19. (Crown copyright)
The operation, commanded by the headquarters of 8 Engineer Brigade, began on 6 November when the first test centre opened in the city. Eventually about 50 sites will be open across the city for two weeks to test citizens who do not show symptoms of the virus with newly developed lateral flow test equipment. This will assess the effectiveness of the mass testing technology ahead of a national roll-out, codenamed Project Moonshot by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Assigned to 8 Brigade for the duration are four units: 1st Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment; 1st Battalion, The Irish Guards; 19 Regiment Royal Artillery; and the King’s Royal Hussars. More than a dozen smaller units are also assigned to the operation, including a squadron of the Royal Logistic Corps with MAN trucks to move the equipment needed to establish the test sites.
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