FRONTLINE workers are being urged to take regular Covid-19 tests by Public Health Warwickshire, amid rising cases in the county.
People are being encouraged to visit one of the community testing centres for those without symptoms of Covid-19 on a weekly basis if they work in health or social care; education or childcare; essential shops, supermarkets or financial services; food production or processing; warehousing, packing or distribution; transportation; essential public sector services; construction, utilities or communications; and agency workers.
There are now six Warwickshire test centres in Rugby, Leamington, Stratford, Water Orton, Bedworth and Nuneaton.
Each centre is set up to undertake around 2,000 tests per week and uses lateral flow testing.
Lateral flow antigen tests are a new kind of technology that can be used to test a higher proportion of people without symptoms of Covid-19, making it easier to break the chains of transmission by identifying and isolating more people who are at high likelihood of spreading the virus.
Director of Public Health for Warwickshire Dr Shade Agboola said: “Our lateral flow testing centres have proved very popular over the Christmas and New Year period, with over 14,000 tests carried out in the last week of December.
“However, in light of the national lockdown, which means where possible people should be working from home and limiting their trips outside, we are now urging frontline workers – for example, workers who cannot work from home and have physical contact with other people as part of their job – to come forward and get tested.
“By encouraging frontline workers to use the service on a weekly basis, we are hoping to help to provide them with some reassurance or give them an early indication if they have contracted the virus before they develop symptoms. Those who do test positive will need to immediately self-isolate and have the result confirmed with a follow-up PCR test.”
Tests for those without symptoms of Covid-19 are available for booking between 8.15am and 8pm, Monday to Friday and 10.15am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday. Results are delivered in around an hour.
Visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/covidcommunitytesting to book a test.
Only people without Covid-19 symptoms should book a test. Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 – a high temperature, a new continuous cough or a change to sense of taste or smell – must self-isolate and book a test via https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.
Visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/covidcommunitytesting for more information or for details on the steps to take before attending a test.
