The testing surge was announced by the government on Monday after 11 people in different regions tested positive for the variant without having any links to people who had travelled to South Africa. The campaign will involve testing 80,000 people across eight different areas -- the ones where the 11 concerning cases were found -- regardless of whether they are showing any symptoms. The aim is to try to break chains of transmission in the community by identifying people with the variant and requiring them to self-isolate. Scientists have said the South African variant appears to be more transmissible, but there is no evidence that it causes more severe disease. "I know the government is working to achieve this policy and implement it as quickly as possible," Donelan told Times Radio.
