Heathrow is working with NHS Test & Trace on a government-led employee test pilot. The pilot will use rapid lateral flow tests to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at the airport. This pilot aims to support existing measures to keep the airport COVID safe, help stop the spread of the new, more contagious strain of the virus, and provide valuable insight into how rapid tests can be deployed more widely across Great Britain Britain to maintain vital services such as running critical national infrastructure.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye:We are delighted to work with the government on this pilot project that goes even further to protect our employees and the other key officials helping the country through this crisis. This pilot will support us as we work to keep the UK's largest port running smoothly to facilitate essential travel and cargo movement ”.

One in three people with the coronavirus does not show symptoms, which means they are at risk of spreading the virus to others unknowingly, especially if they cannot work from home. This pilot aims to use routine testing to identify asymptomatic cases of COVID in airport personnel. These devices can provide test results in just 20 minutes. The short turnaround time makes it faster and easier to identify and isolate positive cases. This government-led pilot will initially run for four weeks and will involve approximately 2.000 Heathrow colleagues. This reports Heathrow on their website.

Baroness Dido Harding, Interim Executive Chairman of the National Institute for Health Protection:

“With more than 62 million tests processed and more than 7 million contacts traced since its inception nine months ago, NHS Test and Trace plays a vital role in the fight against COVID-19. This is a national effort and a partnership of public and private sectors. About one in three people with COVID-19 does not show symptoms, which means you can unknowingly infect others. This pilot is one of many that will provide us with an understanding of how quickly asymptomatic testing can be applied in the real world; to protect people at high risk, find the virus and help us get back to a way of life that is as normal as possible ”.

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