Lichfield’s MP has urged people not to take tests for coronavirus if they are not displaying symptoms.
Michael Fabricant’s comments came in a question to Matthew Hancock in the House of Commons yesterday (10th September) on the subject of COVID-19 testing and the new rules around social gatherings.
The Conservative MP said the new ban on groups of more than six was a necessary step for the Government to take.
“This is a regrettable move, but necessary if we are to avoid the meteoric spike in infections now being experienced on the European continent and in the United States and India.
“The rule is simple – no more than six can gather together unless they are in one household. And the police have powers to enforce this with £100 fines for first offences.
“Meanwhile, despite the UK now having greater testing capacity per capita than Germany, France, Spain, or the US, demand has exceeded supply because people displaying absolutely no symptoms do not have the antigens to activate the test.
“It just doesn’t work unless you are displaying symptoms.
“They are wasting their time getting tested and depriving others with symptoms who do need to be tested.”
Michael Fabricant MP
Mr Fabricant raised the issue in his question to the health secretary yesterday.
“How can we get this message across with some sort of snappy title – rather like the rule of six, it’s very straightforward – and how can we get it across that if you haven’t got symptoms, it is pointless, and a waste to others if you go and get tested?’”
Michael Fabricant MP
Mr Hancock replied:
“We’ve got to get the message across, in the first instance to members of this House, and I hope we’re doing that.
“Also we’re making that clear of course in the communications around the process of getting a test, to ask people if they have symptoms, and make clear that they are not eligible otherwise, and we’re reviewing what more we might need to do, because we’ve got to use the testing capacity, the record testing capacity we’ve got, for the people who really need it most.”
Matt Hancock MP
View the exchange in full below:
