Rapid result community Covid testing programme expected to be announced today in Milton Keynes

The details of how the initiative will work and who will be eligible are still unclear, but more details will be given over the next few days, he said.

Cllr Andrew Geary, who is in his final few months as Mayor of MK, said the council urged the government in November - when city infections were already starting to increase - to include Milton Keynes in the first wave of any larger scale community testing schemes.

"Today the Department of Health will be announcing the 15 local authority areas rolling out rapid community lateral flow testing initiatives, including Milton Keynes," he said.

The self-test lateral flow device can deliver a result within 30 minutes and has received regulatory approval for use by the public in their homes, places of work and other community settings.

Health officials have already said care home staff should receive bi-weekly tests using the devices, which can crucially detect asymptomatic cases and prevent those people from spreading the infection.

The government has spent more than £700m on the kits, which resemble a pregnancy test. They have, however been criticised for only picking up less than half of active infections and some experts are concerned people could still spread the virus with a false negative result.

But a group of scientists, including professor Sir John Bell, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, have insisted that the devices have a role to play in tackling the spread of Covid-19.

The government insists the tests have a valuable part to play in tackling Covid, saying it is a highly useful public health tool and every positive result and subsequent isolation is a good result. The tests helped break the chain of transmission in Liverpool, they say.

If a case of coronavirus is identified in a care home, all staff members will be tested daily with lateral flow devices for a week.

Mayor Andrew has welcomed them - but said the overriding message to people is still to stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives.

And he has hit out at the "minority" of people in MK who will ignore this advice.

"Things will not get better when individuals and indeed employers look for ways around the rules... And I know I address the minority in both instances but I’m well aware that a minority are either ignoring or are actively seeking ways around the rules to suit their own ends. I urge you to think again. It could be your family member or your employee that finishes up in hospital and you will have that on your conscience," he said.

Andrew added: "We are perhaps now in the darkest place that we have been in since the pandemic started 10 months ago. But with this dark and grim news also comes two brighter areas of hope. The first is vaccination and the news that the top four categories of people, including over 70’s, care home and front line NHS staff and other vulnerable categories should have received their first vaccination by mid February.

"Our community has faced many challenges within the last 10 months of battling this wretched pandemic. Today we face the next and possibly the greatest challenge to date. MK has shown not only its ability to pull together as a community in times of crisis but also it’s resilience and it’s dogged determination to get through these most difficult of times with both a grimace and a smile.

"Family life is again interrupted, relationships become strained, people face new and different challenges, mental and physical health is impacted and for some bereavement occurs. Now more than ever, that wonderful community spirit is needed to see us through. And there is light at the end of this very dark tunnel.

I know this community will step up in the way that it has before and I continue to be proud to be your Mayor at a time when MK continues to show what a unique and special place that it really is a great place to live, to work and to play."