Frontline workers in Warwickshire urged to get regular Covid tests throughout lockdown

Frontline workers in Warwickshire are being urged to get regular Covid tests throughout lockdown.

With cases of Covid-19 continuing to rise across the county, Public Health Warwickshire are urging residents, especially those working on the front line and within communities to ensure that they take advantage of the community testing service available for those without symptoms of Covid-19.

There are now five test centres located across Warwickshire in Bedworth, Nuneaton, Rugby, Leamington and Water Orton.

A sixth centre will be opening in Stratford on Tuesday, January 12.

Each centre is set up to undertake around 2,000 plus 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, better enabling us to identify and isolate more people who are at high likelihood of spreading the virus and break the chains of transmission.

Only people without Covid-19 symptoms should book a test.

Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 (high temperature, a new continuous cough or a change to their sense of taste or smell) – must self-isolate and book a test via https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119 as usual.

If anyone is working in one of the following groups and do not currently have access to testing, they are being encouraged to visit a test centres on a weekly basis:

~ 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 including waste, bin collections, security etc

~ construction, utilities or communications

~ agency workers

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.

The service uses the fast turnaround lateral flow test kits, which can deliver results in around an hour.

For more information, to book a test or for details on the steps people need to take before attending a test, go to: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/covidcommunitytesting