Coronavirus cases in Liverpool have been brought down "quite remarkably" following a rollout of mass testing, Health Secretary Matt
Hancock said.
Cases in the city are down by more than two-thirds in the last few weeks, he told BBC Breakfast.
It comes as a new daily testing trial is set to start in the city.
Close contacts of people who test positive will be offered the chance to take daily tests for a week instead of going into isolation.
More than 200,000 people in in a population of just over half a million have been tested.
"They've found a load more people who were asymptomatic, didn't know that they had a problem, didn't know they have the virus,"
he said.
"The combination of the mass testing and the measures in Liverpool have brought the cases down really quite remarkably,
much faster than I would have thought was possible."
Peter Kinsella, who runs the Lunya restaurant in Liverpool, said the reduction in cases gives "hope" to the hospitality industry.
"Anything that gives people confidence to come out and eat in restaurants, when lockdown is lifted... is fantastic news", he said.
He also welcomed the daily testing trial as he said several members of staff had been forced to self-isolate after being notified by
Test and Trace.
"The fewer times that happens the more confident people will be about going out and circulating," he said.
Let's read more details here. : slotxo