10% of England's population could be tested for Covid-19 every week

Exclusive: NHS test and trace asks public health directors to sign up to rapid saliva testing plan

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Up to 10% of England's population could be tested for coronavirus every week after government officials asked local health chiefs to deploy 30-minute saliva kits in an acceleration of Boris Johnson's controversial Operation Moonshot" mass screening plan.

In a letter seen by the Guardian, NHS test and trace claims it is embarking on an important new front in our fight against coronavirus" and asks all directors of public health to sign up to receive rapid-result test kits for up to a tenth of their populations every week, to contain outbreaks and preserve freedoms.