Army deployed to help roll out vaccines and testing in biggest ever UK peacetime operation

A further 800 soldiers sent to Greater Manchester to provide community testing support across all 10 local authority areas

British Army soldiers deliver Covid-19 tests to lorry drivers on the M20 in Kent in December
British Army soldiers deliver Covid-19 tests to lorry drivers on the M20 in Kent in December Credit: Cpl Nicholas Egan RAF/Ministry of Defence/Crown Copyright/PA

The Army is to be deployed in the biggest ever peacetime operation in the UK to help roll out vaccines and testing.

A further 800 soldiers have been sent to Greater Manchester in order to provide community testing support across all 10 local authority areas. 

Troops will carry out targeted asymptomatic testing of specific populations that may be at a higher risk of infection including social care staff, key workers, public facing occupations such as bus drivers, and those in high risk environments such care homes and shared accommodation for the homeless.

The new addition of soldiers means more than 5,000 Armed Forces personnel are currently deployed to support the response to Covid across the UK. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said the number was "more than at any previous point in the pandemic and the biggest homeland operation the UK has ever seen in peacetime". 

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, said: "The New Year will see new levels of Armed Forces support to overcoming this pandemic."  He added that Manchester would "be an important contribution to protecting the highest risk groups as the city seeks to recover". 

"As a North-West MP, I am acutely aware of the considerable time many of us have been labouring under some form of lockdown and I hope our soldiers will help us get to the day when these restrictions will start to lift," he said. 

It comes after 1,500 troops were put on standby last week to run testing in schools and colleges as ministers battle to get pupils back into the classroom. Their duties include providing support and phone advice to institutions needing guidance on the testing process, as well as setting up testing facilities.

RAF personnel support Covid testing in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales
RAF personnel support Covid testing in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales Credit: Leon Neal/Getty Images Europe

To date, the MoD has deployed 10 military planners to assist the Vaccine Task Force, with over 150 personnel deployed across the UK to support organisational and logistical components of the deployment programme. 

Two separate military planners are seconded to support the Vaccine Task Force director, while additionally 20 personnel are assisting with regional vaccine planning, end-to-end logistics and delivery.

Meanwhile, from Monday personnel will be trained up as part of the Vaccine Quick Reaction Force. This will initially be 21 teams of 6 personnel assigned to the seven NHS England regions, able to provide surge support to the vaccine roll-out if required by local health authorities.

In addition to community testing, 515 personnel remain on-task testing hauliers in Dover and helping to establish 10 new testing sites to improve the flow of traffic across the Channel. 

Lt Gen Sir Tyrone Urch CBE, Standing Joint Commander UK, said: "In recent weeks, our amazing staff have deployed at short notice to set up and staff community testing centres across the country in support of the NHS, DHSC, devolved nations and local communities.”  

He said he was "humbled by the sacrifice and dedication of all our people from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force as we continue to contribute to our nation's fight against the coronavirus". 

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