Operation Moonshot: Mass coronavirus testing could cost up to £100 billion as plans met with criticism from experts

Rebecca Speare-Cole10 September 2020

The Government's ambitious mass coronavirus testing plans could cost as much as £100 billion, according to reports.

The “Operation Moonshot” project would see millions of UK-wide tests carried out daily.

But it could have a price tag close to that of the £114 billion budget given to NHS England in 2018/19, according to leaked documents seen by the BMJ.

Announcing the plans in a press briefing on Wednesday, Boris Johnson said that millions of people could be tested every day so they could “behave in a way that was exactly as in the world before Covid”.

Boris Johnson announced mass testing plans called "Operation Moonshot"
PA

He also believes the scheme could help sport and entertainment venues reopen fully and allow people to socially mix in large groups again with on-the-day tests.

However, the plans were met with mixed reaction from the health and scientific community, with concerns raised over the implications of a negative test result.

Dr Chaand Nagpaul, council chairman of the British Medical Association (BMA), said it was unclear how it would work given the “huge problems” currently seen with lab capacity.

Meanwhile, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted on Friday that the technology for the Government’s “moonshot” plan of 10 million Covid-19 tests a day does not yet exist.

Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures

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Speaking on Sky News, he said: “We know this isn’t simple to achieve, but we hope it will be possible through technology and new tests to have a test which works by not having to return the sample to a lab.”

He said the Government was hoping to develop a test that provided a result in between 20 minutes and 90 minutes.

“This is technology that, to be perfectly blunt, requires further development – there isn’t a certified test in the world that does this but there are people that are working on prototypes,” he said.

The Deputy chief medical officer, Dr Jenny Harries, said the success of Moonshot would depend on how it is handled.

People queuing for a coronavirus testing centre in Walthamstow
Lucy Young

She told ITV’s Peston: “We do want to get back to as much normality as we can and any opportunity to do that through a new testing programme or using different testing technology is clearly a good thing to be following, but it’s not quite as simple as just doing that.”

Ministers have faced increasing pressure in recent days over availability of tests, with many people reporting being sent hundreds of miles from home to get checked for the illness.

The new testing plans come as the Prime Minister admitted it was “too early to say” whether big parties could be held over the festive season this year.

The Government's ambitious mass testing plans could cost as much as £100 billion, according to reports
Reuters

Speaking at the Downing Street briefing on Wednesday, the Prime Minister hoped that “we could be able to get some aspects of our lives back to normal by Christmas” and pointed to mass testing as something which could help society open back up further.

For now, however, Mr Johnson urged people to limit their social contact “as much as possible” as he confirmed that social gatherings of more than six people will be outlawed in England from Monday.

Lockdown rules could also be tightened in other parts of the UK, as rates of Covid-19 infection have risen across the country in recent days.

Meanwhile the latest figures in the Government’s test and trace will be released on Thursday.

Last week, the number of close contacts of people who tested positive for Covid-19 being reached through Test and Trace was at its lowest since the system was launched.

On Wednesday, a further 2,659 positive cases were confirmed across the UK, taking the total up to 355,219.

Positive results have increased from from 12.5 per 100,000 people to 19.7 per 100,000 in the UK in the last week – with a particular rise in infections among young people.

Infections are most prevalent among the 19 to 21-year-old age group, with 54 cases per 100,000 people.

In Northern Ireland, it is expected that restrictions will be tightened on Thursday, while in Scotland, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will announce the latest review of lockdown rules north of the border.

Ms Sturgeon had already warned her latest review was “likely to take a very cautious approach”.

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