Groundbreaking new thats can detect coronavirus (COVID-19) in just 90 minutes will start to be used in care homes and labs in England from next week.
Currently most results from tests carried out in-person are returned the following day, while home testing kits take even longer, but these two new types of test – LamPORE and DnaNudge – can provide results in less than two hours and do not require trained health staff to operate them.
They can also detect other winter viruses too.
A total of 450,000 LamPORE tests will be made available to care homes and labs in England from next week, with millions more to come later in the year, and a new DNA test will also be rolled out, with 5,000 Nudgebox machines given to hospitals across the UK from September.
The news of the rollout of these two new testing methods comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson stated that he wants 500,000 coronavirus tests to be available every day by October.
2020 has been a year of intense innovation, and we are delighted to be partnering with teams at the UK's Department of Health and Social Care to roll out LamPORE, a new generation of COVID-19 test. 1/3 Read more here: https://t.co/fjeBDg3rtqpic.twitter.com/cFwYPWInC6
Speaking on the introduction of the new tests, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “The fact these tests can detect flu as well as COVID-19 will be hugely beneficial as we head into winter, so patients can follow the right advice to protect themselves and others.”
The LamPORE testing method is described as “a precise, rapid, low-cost and highly scalable assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2” – the virus that causes COVID-19 – and is designed to test saliva and swab RNA samples, whether gathered from people who are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or those who do not have symptoms.
The machines that process these tests come in desktop and palm versions, and will be used in ‘pop-up labs’, as well as in existing facilities.
The COVID Nudge testing method is said to be a “rapid, accurate, portable, out-of-laboratory, sample-to-answer RT-PCR test that delivers results on the spot, at the point of need and in just over an hour” and also has a chip that includes a control assay for human RNA, which eliminates “false negative” results by testing for inadequate swabbing.
Trials comparing COVID Nudge against several NHS laboratory results indicated 98% sensitivity and 100% specificity.
The Department of Health and Social Care has previously insisted that it is sending thousands of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests to care homes, but did admit that supplier issues have caused delays, which is why health ministers are hoping the fact that no clinical training is needed to operate these new rapid test machines will allow them to be used in a wider range of settings.
For more information ahead of the rollout of both tests next week, you can visit the Oxford Nanopore Technologies website here, and the DnaNudge website here.
For further guidance amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, do refer to official sources via gov.uk/coronavirus.
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Police appeal for witnesses after body of woman recovered from reservoir in Oldham
Emily Sergeant
An urgent appeal for witnesses has been issued after the body of a woman was recovered from a reservoir in Oldham.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) explained that emergency services responded to an incident at Strinesdale Reservoir, in Oldham, after receiving reports of a woman getting into difficulty in the water this past weekend.
The incident was said to have taken place at around 4:50pm on Sunday 17 August 2025.
Sadly, despite the prompt call to emergency services, the woman lost her life and her body was subsequently recovered from the water.
#APPEAL | We are appealing for witnesses following the recovery of the body of a woman from Strinesdale Reservoir, #Oldham, on Sunday 17/8/25.
Any info? 📞 police on 101 quoting log 2357 17/08/25, or contact @CrimestoppersUK.
Police say there are believed to be ‘no suspicious circumstances’ surrounding the woman’s death, and are instead focusing their investigations on trying to understand what happened by calling on witnesses for information.
“We are appealing for witnesses who may have seen her as she entered the water,” GMP said in its witness appeal.
Officers are also keep to learn more about the moments prior to her entering the water, and are urging anyone with information to come forward and help with enquiries.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101, quoting log 2357 17/08/25, or by use the LiveChat service on the GMP website at www.gmp.police.uk.
Independent charity Crimestoppers can also be contacted, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
Featured Image – Wikimedia Commons / Geograph
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New £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport given the green light
Emily Sergeant
Planning permission has been granted for a new ‘walkable and sustainable’ neighbourhood in Stockport town centre.
A major milestone has been reached for Stockport’s transformation, as the new mixed residential mini-village, ‘Stockport 8’ – which was put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund) – has been given the green light, helping to make it one of the most sustainable and liveable town centres in the UK.
The eight-acre site is just one in a series of regeneration projects led by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), as part of ambitious plans to develop land west of the town centre under the ‘Town Centre West’ (TCW) scheme.
The development is a key element of the wider £1 billion investment currently being delivered.
The plans were recommended for approval at Stockport’s central area committee at the end of July, and were then approved at planning committee last week (14 August).
A new £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport has been given the green light / Credit: Supplied
Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the historic viaduct, the £350m mixed residential neighbourhood – which includes many affordable properties – is expected to ‘breathe life’ back into what was once a ‘thriving’ area under the railway arches, connecting Stockport Interchange with nearby communities in the process.
The plans will deliver approximately 1,300 new high-quality homes to suit existing residents and new homeowners moving into the Greater Manchester town in the next decade.
There’ll be be a mix of residential properties, including build-to-rent and owner-occupier – with a range of sizes to meet the needs of different households.
The development is also centred around ‘vibrant’ public spaces where people can meet and relax outdoors, helping to improve the wellbeing of residents, while a pedestrian-only street will run through the centre, again to encourage interaction.
“We’re not adopting a one-size-fits-all approach at Stockport 8,” explained Catherine Chilvers, who is the Managing Director of Stockport MDC.
“Instead, we are investing in high-quality and energy- efficient housing that offers so much more for people at all stages of life.
“The development sets the bar high for town centre living, creating a considered neighbourhood for residents along with leisure and employment opportunities, while outdoor squares, with a multitude of uses, will allow people to feel connected and enable families to grow.”
The Manc -
3rd August 2020 
