The armed forces is stepping down from its efforts to support community testing in Medway.

Military personnel were drafted in to help run special symptom-free testing centres across the Towns earlier this month to identify those unknowingly spreading the illness.

Officials supported Medway Council to host the centres where eligible critical workers and residents could take a swab test at targeted venues in Chattenden, Rainham, Chatham and Rochester.

They have also ran pop-up test sites across Medway’s secondary schools, retail areas and at Gillingham FC's MEMS Priestfield Stadium.

Now in its third week of operation, the military is standing down to hand over to civilian staff.

Yesterday, it was revealed that of 23,776 participants, 446 of them – or 1.87% – were infected and told to isolate.

It comes as the area continues to be hard hit by high rates of the virus.

The latest figures show almost 3,000 cases recorded in Medway in the past seven days, meaning the infection rate is now 1,041 cases per 100,000 people. In the past seven days, 54 people from the Towns have died.

Meanwhile, soldiers have been working alongside Medway Council employees, to train new symptom-free testing centre staff.

These workers were recruited with the authority's recruitment partner Medway Commercial Group (MCG), who will fully take over the running of the sites after Christmas.

Leader of Medway Council, Cllr Alan Jarrett, said: “Thank you to our friends in the military for all you have done to help launch Medway’s symptom-free testing centres and consequently help slow the spread of coronavirus locally.

"The Armed Forces have assisted thousands of Medway’s eligible critical workers and residents take a symptom-free test and their support has been warmly welcomed by the local community.

"Medway has a rich military history and their support has been instrumental in Medway’s fight against coronavirus. On behalf of Medway, thank you again and we wish you all a healthy Christmas and New Year with your loved ones.

“At a time when some families are struggling financially and out of work, I am pleased we have now been able to open up new job opportunities for our residents.

"Thank you to everyone who has applied so far and those who have already been trained by the military to take over the running of the symptom-free testing centres. You are providing a vital role in helping to identify those who unknowingly have the virus.”

Lieutenant Colonel James Cackett, Commanding Officer of the Medway Resilience Unit said: “Since testing started on December 5, the soldiers of the Medway Resilience Unit have been pleased to serve the communities here in Medway in support of the wider testing programme and have conducted over 26,000 lateral flow tests.

"I am rightly proud of the work they have achieved over the past three weeks, and have been humbled by the warm reception we have received from the public.

"The smooth and successful transition to Medway Council delivery is complete and set to ensure the people of Medway remain protected.”

James Williams, Medway Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “More than 26,000 of Medway’s critical workers and residents without symptoms have now been tested and 446 of them have been found to have coronavirus.

"Your efforts to take the quick swab test is helping to slow the spread of the virus locally. We know that breaking the chain of infection by finding people who do not know they are infected will help Medway residents to get back to doing the things they love sooner.

“We are opening up symptom-free testing to more of Medway’s critical workers and residents. If you’re eligible to take a symptom-free test you will be contacted directly by Medway Council by letter or leaflet to your home, through your employer or by text message from ‘NHSnoreply’.

"Please do take advantage of the opportunity you have been given to play your part in Medway’s fight against coronavirus.”

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