Ten minute COVID-19 test could help to reopen UK sports stadiums

August 11, 2020

A company based in Manchester, UK is developing a rapid COVID-19 testing kit with the aim of safely reopening stadiums to restart sporting events.

According to Healthcare Global, "the kits will produce test results in 10 minutes that will be saved in a data protection-compliant digital health passport to authenticate the results. Unlike the contact tracing apps currently in use by the Government, [a digital passport] will not track or trace a person's live location, ensuring personal data is ultra secure, using advanced security protocols and encryption."

The plans for the testing kit and app are part of a pilot program called 'Fans are back' which have been submitted to the UK Government’s Department Of Culture Media & Sport (DCMS) and the Prime Minister’s office. The plans have won praise for being a potential game changer to reopen stadiums, from supporters such as former sports minister Richard Caborn and former England Rugby Captain Mike Tindall MBE, reports Global Healthcare.

At the beginning of the pilot programs, football, rugby and snooker will be covered. "The pilot will involve randomly selecting a sample group of between 500-5000 home fans to be tested the day before a specially designated football or rugby match using the [COVID]-19 rapid test kit. Each person will also be provided with a [digital passport], the ultra secure digital health passport to be used on their mobile phone to validate the test results. They will be instructed to download the passport onto their phone prior to the testing day. The users enter their name, address, date of birth, phone number, and doctor details along with an official identity document such as a passport or drivers’ licence to verify their ID. The uploaded documents are then verified against the smartphone's facial recognition to match the person’s details in a “likeness test”. The fans will then be invited to take a [COVID]-19 rapid test at a pre-defined location, by appointment the day before the event. Upon arrival at the test site they will be asked to present their [digital passport] for scanning, and a temperature check will be taken before they are directed to a test station," reports Healthcare Global.

The fans are advised to return home and self-isolate until the match day. However, if a person tests positive, information about that person found on the "digital passport" can then be used for contract tracing purposes.

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