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Economic Development

Liverpool mass testing sparks fresh hope for Grand National and other major 2021 events

Hospitality leaders hope with the city having been the pilot for mass testing, it could also be involved with further projects including major events in the New Year

Aintree Racecourse(Image: PA Wire)

The Grand National and other major events set to take place in Liverpool next year have been given fresh hope after the city took a crucial role at the centre of the º£½ÇÊÓÆµ's first mass testing operation.

On November 6, began in Liverpool, becoming the first º£½ÇÊÓÆµ location for the operation aimed at bringing infection levels down.

The number of people who had come forward for tests stood at 90,000 on Thursday.

Hospitality leaders and local politicians are now hoping with the city having been the pilot for this initiative, it could also be involved with further projects once ends, which could mean testing trials for major events in the New Year.

Soldiers carry out mass coronavirus testing in St Johns Market in Liverpool as the four week national lockdown continues.(Image: PA)

At the monthly Visitor Economy Panel hosted by the Liverpool BID Company, Claire McColgan of council body Culture Liverpool was asked whether she expects to see events like the at Aintree, the , and Liverpool and Everton matches take place next year with spectators in attendance.

She said: "I know as much as everyone else. I think the interesting thing is around mass testing and how the next stage [will be about getting] people in and out of events - it's hugely complicated, [for example,] where do you keep people while they wait for their positive or negative tests?

"So I think testing actually maybe one of the ways where we and the Government nationally start to look at this. That's why it's really exciting for Liverpool doing mass testing at this moment in time.