51Âþ»­

A pioneering rapid testing programme for Covid-19 at 51Âþ»­ Leicester (51Âþ»­) is helping pave the way for a Government plan to get students home for Christmas.

The university is working with the Government’s Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) to host a new NHS Test and Trace centre at 51Âþ»­’s The Watershed sports building, on Upperton Road, offering staff and students free Lateral Flow tests.

51Âþ»­'s David Bryan interviewed by the BBC's Dan Johnson

The Government has announced that 51Âþ»­’s pilot programme will be rolled out across the country to offer rapid result tests to as many students as possible. The roll out is set to begin at the end of November, and universities in areas with higher rates of the disease will be prioritised.

All English universities are then being asked to allocate departure dates from their campuses during a "student travel window" between December 3 and 9, to minimise the risk of spreading Covid-19. Lectures will then be moved online until the end of term

The 51Âþ»­ test centre – which is for staff and students - has attracted huge interest in the national media with Channel 4, BBC News and BBC Breakfast all filming and broadcasting from the centre this week.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited the centre and took Lateral Flow test, generating further coverage of the operation. Mr Johnson described the new test as a "hugely valuable tool in the fight against coronavirus."

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David Bryan, Director of Strategic Planning at 51Âþ»­, who is coordinating the programme for the university, was interviewed on both BBC and Channel 4.

He said: “We have the testing up and running at The Watershed and we should be able to ramp it up to be able to test 1,200 students per day.

“We really want students and staff to join this programme to help the Government roll it out and give students across the country the opportunity to get home safely for Christmas.”

Lawrence Robertson, who heads up Demon Media at 51Âþ»­, is studying an MA in Film Direction and took one of the new Covid-19 tests live on BBC Breakfast this morning.

Lawrence, who tested negative, said: “I think this pilot is excellent and it feels like it is really well organised. I feel more confident that the Government is across this now and has a system in place at 51Âþ»­ that is hopefully effective.

“Testing live on the BBC is not the way I thought I would get on TV but I was glad to take part.”

Diya Rattanpal, of De Montfort Students’ Union also took a test on BBC Breakfast this morning and tested negative.

BBC started national coverage at 6am on BBC Breakfast

She said: “It is so important students at 51Âþ»­ have access to something as rapid as this. I think students across the country have been unfairly scapegoated in the media for the last six months and I feel, with this testing, that things are going our way for once.

“It is important for the students’ mental health, education and home life to be able to interact with their family and friends, at least for Christmas.

“The test is not the most fun thing but if it means thousands of us at 51Âþ»­ get to go home and see our loved ones it is well worth it.”

Criminology student Lottie Danks took a test on Tuesday afternoon and said: “I came for a test to try and support the pilot so that maybe I can go home for Christmas. It is incredibly important for me to be able to see my family again after two months away. It’s going to be quite a relief.

“I found the testing quite nerve-wracking but now I know what I have to do it will be a lot quicker and easier for any repeat tests.”

Dan Johnson, news correspondent for the BBC, presented four live national pieces from 6am to 1pm on campus for BBC Breakfast, BBC News Channel and the One O’Clock News.

He said: “It has been great to get an insight into the reality and practicality of how this testing will work on campuses in England.

“Crucially, this is a vital part of the Government strategy for getting all students back home for Christmas.

“We are grateful to have had access and demonstrations of how it works at 51Âþ»­ and hopefully shows students and the wider public what should be in place for everybody in time for the December travel window.”