Skynews press A scheme using drones to deliver coronavirus test kits and medical supplies to a Scottish island has received government funding to help tackle the pandemic.Skyports, the company behind the drones, ran a two-week trial delivering items essential to tackling the COVID-19 outbreak between the islands on Scotland’s west coast at the end of May and beginning of June.

It was able to cut delivery times between Oban hospital to another on the Isle of Mull – which are 12 miles (19km) apart – to 15 minutes. The journey would normally take 45 minutes by both road and ferry.The UK Space Agency and the European Space Agency have a budget of £2.6m to award to space-enabled technologies which can support the health service’s response to the pandemic.

Skyports has received part of the £1.1m in funding which has already been awarded, while £1.5m remains open to bids until September.

Images and quotes courtesy skynews

More on https://news.sky.com/story/coronavirus-scheme-which-delivers-covid-19-tests-to-scottish-island-by-drone-gets-govt-funding-12025382