The First Battalion The Royal Gurkha Rifles (1 RGR) based in Kent has taken over the COVID-19 testing for truck drivers on route to Dover. The Armed Forces were called in just before Christmas to help administer COVID-19 tests to lorry drivers stuck in Kent, waiting to cross the English Channel to France.
This has initially was supported by the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers as part of 36 Engineer Regiment.
Late last week the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers delivered training to their counterparts in 1 RGR on how to deliver the COVID-19 tests and then 1 RGR took over at the weekend.
They were visited by both the Army Sergeant Major and Colonel Brigade of Gurkhas on the M20 where drivers heading for Europe are stopped, tested, and only allowed to proceed if the COVID-19 test is negative.