Covid-19 Mass Asymptomatic Testing

Liverpool City Council was invited by the Department of Health & Social care to work collaboratively on a mass testing pilot due to the high number of cases of coronavirus in the city. The city has been under Tier-3 restrictions since 14th October 2020 and case numbers have been among the highest in England. The pilot and contact tracing has been locally led, with the testing operation carried out by the Army at designated Asymptomatic Testing Sites across the City. To date thirty nine public ATS's have been in operation across the City, with this element of the operation due to finish on 2nd December 2020. The UK Government has determined that it would be desirable for the Authority to secure that further testing facilities are to be maintained and operated in the City until at least January 2021.Therefore the Authority require provider(s) to maintain the staffing and operation of Asymptomatic Testing Sites within tight timescales meaning therefore the time limits for the open or restricted procedures or competitive procedures with negotiation cannot be complied with. In advance of the withdrawal of military support on the 2nd December the appointed partner or partners will deliver the operational staffing of MAST in two phases: PHASE 1 - Provide a practical and workable transition of MAST from military to civilian operation in up to 5 x Static Sites (HUBS) in order to ensure continuity within the limited timeframe available to mobilise all of the key resources, equipment, processes PHASE 2 - Introduction of localised sites x 5 (SPOKES), to target key areas / demographics. This may be within local community centres, health centres or supermarket foyers.