Business Secretary Alok Sharma promised a “steady but significant” deployment of rapid coronavirus tests as he acknowledged a vaccine which can eradicate Covid-19 “may never materialise”.
He told the Confederation of British Industry conference: “I’ve seen through my department the brilliant collaborative work between businesses and our world-leading scientists in developing a vaccine.
“As we speak, the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine is in final phase trials, with the prospect of a vaccine early next year.
“Now whilst there has been rapid progress we recognise that a vaccine which fully eliminates the virus may never materialise.
“So we plan to also protect the country in other ways.
“As the Prime Minister set out on Saturday, we have the immediate prospect of using many millions of cheap, reliable and rapid-turnaround tests.
“Over the next few days and weeks, we will plan a steady, but significant deployment of these tests.
“There are paths out of this current predicament to eventually get business, fully on its feet, and the economy firing on all cylinders.”
