Coronavirus: Medway testing centre opens with army help

The army is helping to run Covid-19 test centres in Medway.

The centres will provide targeted testing for key workers and people living in an area with one of the highest levels of infection.

Medway is the worst affected area of England, with infection rates reaching 600.6 cases per 100,000 people.

It is hoped the targeted testing will be more effective than mass testing of whole populations, with the data being used to curb the spread of the virus.

"We might increase the number of people who are actually testing positive because we're actually finding more people," said James Williams, Medway's public health director, "but what I want to see is that the actual number of those people as we test, the percentage of positivity reduces.

"That's going to be a really good indication that we're testing more but we're finding less, and quite clearly that will show me that we're starting to break the cycle".

Along with Medway, four more places in Kent are among the top ten worst affected areas in England.

The others are Swale, Thanet, Maidstone and Gravesham.

Kent is in tier 3 of the new coronavirus restrictions, with the toughest curbs in place.

The first delivery of vaccines is expected to arrive at the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford this week, with the roll out to the most vulnerable patients also expected to begin.