Government announce ‘moonshot’ plans for mass testing – but experts have doubts
The PM said the Moonshot strategy would involve creating millions of accessible COVID-19 tests for the British public - returning results in as little as 20 minutes.
Boris Johnson’s ambitious ‘Operation Moonshot’ plan – which aims to turn around half a million tests a day by next month – is already coming under scrutiny from health experts.
The Prime Minister said the strategy would involve creating millions of accessible COVID-19 tests for the British public – returning results in as little as 20 minutes.
The announcement arrives following rising numbers of complaints surrounding the UK Track & Trace system – which is currently under severe strain due to high demand.
National coronavirus cases are also on the up – with seven-day weekly average rising to over 2,000.
In order to combat the spread, Johnson said the government was aiming to provide 500,000 tests a day by the end of October.
ADVERTISEMENT
Wikimedia Commons
The PM said: “We’re hoping the ‘Moonshot’ approach will work and we will be able to deliver mass testing which will give people the freedom pass, the ‘laissez-passer’, the knowledge that they are not infectious and can hang out with other people who are not infectious in a pre-COVID way.”
One of the pilots for Operation Moonshot is anticipated to start in Salford during October.
ADVERTISEMENT
However, according to the BBC, council chairman of the British Medical Association Dr. Chaand Nagpaul said it was unclear how this could work due to the “huge problems” seen so far.
Dr David Strain, clinical senior lecturer at the University of Exeter, also expressed doubts – claiming some of PM’s aims were practically “impossible”.
Strain stated: “The prime minister’s suggestion that this will be as simple as ‘getting a pregnancy test’ that will give results within 15 minutes is unlikely, if not impossible, in the timescale he was suggesting to get the country back on track.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Wikimedia Commons
Greater Manchester is continuing to see a rise in cases across most boroughs.
Mayor Andy Burnham has been calling for an overhaul of the Track & Trace System for weeks – asking the government to consider a more localised strategy.
“The most effective way of beating back Covid is with teams on the ground in communities, going door to door, testing and tracing face to face,” said the Mayor.
“That is what brought the numbers down in Oldham, not the blanket restrictions.
“But it is not the system operating in most places. Instead, they have to rely on the national system, which performs worst in the areas where we need it best.”
News
‘Prolific’ South Manchester burglar jailed for thefts which included peanuts…
Daisy Jackson
A ‘prolific’ burglar has been jailed for just over two years, for numerous thefts including sunglasses, airpods, and peanuts…
The man was caught red-handed inside someone’s property, where he claimed he was just wanting a glass of water – but was found by police officers to have the resident’s car keys in his pocket.
Fazal Alnesi, 26, from Moss Side, was then linked to a number of other burglaries, attempted burglaries, and thefts across South Manchester.
Fazal was sentenced to 27 months at Manchester Crown Court last week after pleading guilty to offences including six counts of burglary in June of this year.
He was arrested on 12 June, when a man returned to his home in Fallowfield in the early hours of the morning and discovered Fazal inside his address.
He claimed he was there because he wanted a glass of water but subsequently refused to leave, which led to police being called.
Officers placed Alnensi in handcuffs and found the resident’s car keys in his pocket, as well as indications that he’d been rummaging through the man’s drawers.
He was later linked to other thefts include a wrench set from a car, a pedal cycle worth £350, airpods, sunglasses – and even peanuts from one address.
He additionally took an electric bike charger from one address worth hundreds of pounds.
PC Jon Holden, from GMP’s City of Manchester district, said: “Alnensi took various items from several homes and cars across a two-week period earlier this year, making off with hundreds of pounds worth of goods.
“Ultimately, Alnensi left people feeling unsafe in his own home, and I am glad he is now behind bars.
“Our team will investigate all burglaries, and I would encourage people to get in touch with us – all intelligence helps us lock up criminals and bring them to justice.”
The top 10 ‘happiest’ places to live in the North West in 2026 have been named
Emily Sergeant
The top 10 happiest places to live in the North West have been named for 2026.
It comes as Rightmove has published its annual ‘Happy at Home’ index this week, just as it has done for the last 14 years now, exploring exactly what it is that makes people feel content about where they live, and highlighting the happiest places nationwide ahead of the new year – with thousands of residents across more than 200 locations providing feedback.
The residents told the leading property listing platform what they love (or don’t love) about their community, from the friendliness of their neighbours, to job opportunities, access to green spaces, and so much more.
The survey also outlined the differences in happiness in rural, urban, and suburban environments, as well as the way our sense of ‘home happiness’ changes as we age.
So, when it comes to the North West as a whole then, where do we have in the top 10?
Well, to kick things off, you may have already seen that one Lancashire market town has earned its place in the top 10 nationwide, not just for the North West region – and that’s Chorley.
Closest to the Bolton and Wigan boroughs, Chorley – which is is about a 40-minute drive outside of Manchester, and sits on a direct train route into the city centre.
But aside from the national top 10, when it comes to the regional top 10, the next two towns following Chorley in second and third are both in Greater Manchester.
The North West’s top 10 happiest places to live 2026
Chorley
Stockport
Altrincham
Chester
Macclesfield
Southport
Kendal
Wirral
Northwich
Carlisle
Altrincham has been named one of the North West’s happiest places to live / Credit: The Manc Group
The ever-thriving Stockport comes in at number two, followed by Trafford favourite Altrincham directly behind it at number three.
Other of the region’s inclusions like Bury, Bolton, Wigan, and the Manchester borough itself all ranked towards the bottom.
Speaking on this year’s list, Colleen Babcock – a property expert at Rightmove – explained: “The balance between greenery and everyday convenience runs through the wider findings. Even among people who would ideally choose a rural setting, access to amenities, parks and public transport remains important.
“This year’s results suggest that the places people rate most highly aren’t simply urban or rural, but often bring together some of the best elements of both.”
Featured Image – Roger Kidd (via Wikimedia Commons)
The Manc -
10th September 2020 
