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Monday 8 February 2021

One of our favourite large City venues, The Brewery on Chiswell St, is supporting one of many new trials, which aims to provide accurate Covid testing for future hospitality and events, with results given within just 20 seconds of a simple mouth swab.

Whilst The Brewery is currently restricted by law from hosting events, they have opened their doors to an exciting evaluation trial, for a potentially game changing new Covid-19 testing technology, Virolens. And, with vaccine passports not favoured by the UK Government, this could be one of the many ways to run safer corporate and public events, as we try to navigate our way back to some kind of new normality in 2021.

Developed by UK-based Company, i-Abra, the Virolens system uses microscopic holographic imaging and artificial intelligence software to detect Covid-19 at the exact time of testing. When a mouth swab is placed in the Virolens testing device, a holographic microscope examines the saliva sample and runs it through a computer trained to identify Covid-19 a process taking just 20 seconds. Instant point of care testing for Covid-19 has the potential to open up large scale events, sports, festivals and theatres by creating a safer environment for attendees.

 A solution that offers rapid and accurate testing would present the opportunity for large crowds to access a site with minimal queues or fuss. There are however, limitations to the current testing technologies, which prevent them from doing this effectively. Virolens offers a new and potentially game changing solution to bridge this gap and could be used at festivals, wedding and of course, Christmas parties venues in London.

The trial at The Brewery is being conducted by i-Abra and is authorised by the MHRA. It is running from the 3rd February and is open from 7am-7pm Monday to Friday, and 10am-4pm on Saturday (closed on Sunday).

The UK events industry has supported the Government by providing valuable space for vaccination centres and Nightingale hospitals over the past 12 months and this is yet another great example of how our London venue partners are working with leading medical innovators to assist with the long-awaited and much needed return to larger events and gatherings. 

We very much hope that this award-winning venue will return to its proper use in the months to come, with large scale conferences, awards, weddings and parties.  But in the meantime, If you would like to help get society moving again by participating in the trial, you can find out more information on the trial and book online by clicking here.