UK sends 50,000 COVID-19 test samples to US after 'operational issues' in lab network

After facing ‘operational issues’, the United Kingdom government reportedly admitted sending nearly 50,000 coronavirus tests to the United States. According to an international media report, the samples were airlifted to the US in a chartered flight from Stansted Airport last week. The Department of Health reportedly said that sending the swabs abroad was among the contingencies to deal with ‘teething problems’. 

The government has also informed that the results will be validated in the UK and sent to the patients as soon as possible. While speaking to an international media outlet, a spokesperson from the Department of Health and Social Care said that expanding Britain’s virus testing network had involved setting up an ‘entirely new’ lab network to process tests. The spokesperson added that ‘contingencies’ such as sending swabs abroad were in place for when ‘problems arise’. 

READ: UK Queen's Message Marks Muted VE Day Celebration

The reports of UK sending COVID-19 tests to the States came as the Britain government failed to hit 100,000 daily tests target which was set by Health Secretary Matt Hancock. Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister reportedly said that the ambition was to hit 200,000 tests by the end of this month and even go higher. However, the health department failed to hit the target for the seventh day in a row. 

READ: British Govt Announces £2 Billion Package To Boost Cycling And Walking Amid Pandemic

‘Fluctuation’ were expected 

As per reports, Britain was only able to deliver 96,878 tests in the 24 hours time span on May 8. However, while addressing the daily coronavirus briefing, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam said that the authorities expected ‘fluctuation’ in the day-to-day figures. He said, "We are now really at a high plateau, in the region of 100,000 tests per day. I don't think we can read too much into day-to-day variations, but the macro picture is this is now at a much, much higher level than it ever was at the beginning of this crisis”. 

Meanwhile, the UK currently has more than 215,000 confirmed coronavirus cases and the deadly virus has claimed nearly 31,587 lives in the country. Despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases, UK PM Boris Johnson expressed optimism and said that the rate at which the virus is spreading among people was below one which is the outcome of the general public’s adherence to the social distancing measures. The UK authorities also believe that the virus is almost contained and the government, in the future, could both relax and tighten measures.  

(Image: PTI)

READ: UK Govt On Gradual Easing, Possible Quarantine Rules

READ: 1st Batch Of 326 Indians Stranded In UK Arrives In Mumbai