Council encourages borough residents to take covid tests twice a week
Telford & Wrekin Council is encouraging borough adults with no coronavirus symptoms to test themselves twice every week.
The Council is urging households with school-aged children and those that need to go to work to get tested.
From today, the Council is making it easier for adults living or working in the borough to get asymptomatic tests by providing home testing kits for collection at the Council’s three rapid testing centres.
Covid-19 home tests can also be collected from the borough’s five NHS “Test & Trace” sites.
There are now eight collection points across the borough from where borough adults without coronavirus symptoms can pick-up home testing kits:
- Three Council-run rapid testing sites – open for collection Monday-Friday between 9am-2pm and 2.30pm-7pm and Saturday-Sunday between 10am – 2.30pm (apart from The Place, Oakengates that is closed on Saturdays)
- The Place, Oakengates
- The Anstice, Madeley
- Cosy Hall, Newport
- Five NHS “Test & Trace” sites – open for collection between 1.30pm and 7pm (including Saturday & Sunday)
- Ironbridge Park and Ride, Off A4169, TF4 3QE
- Legges Way Car Park - Legges Way, Madeley, TF7 5UD
- The Place Car Park, The Place New Street, Oakengates, TF2 6ET (Walk In Centre on the Car Park)
- Donnington Wood Bowling Club, School Road, Donnington (Telford), TF2 8HU
- Wrekin Road Car Park, Wellington, TF1 1YZ
The Council says more collection points across the borough in Council-run locations are due to open soon.
Anyone aged 18 or over can collect testing kits - there is no need to book an appointment to pick-up your kit, you can just turn up during the above-mentioned opening times for collection.
You can take home 2 packs of test kits, each pack contains 7 tests.
If you are unable to go to a test site to collect the kits, you can order a home test kit online. Although do not order online if you can get a test through other methods. This frees up home delivery for those who need it most.
Adults feeling well, with no coronavirus symptoms, can still get a rapid test at the Council’s three centre premises listed above. They can book a test appointment on rapidtest.telford.gov.uk
Adults displaying symptoms are advised to get a test immediately at one of the five NHS “Test & trace” sites listed above, also opened during 10am-1pm. They can book a test appointment on the government’s website.
Cllr Andy Buford, Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care said: “Around 1 in 3 people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others.
“Regular testing of people without symptoms (asymptomatic testing) is key to help stop the virus spreading.
“This is why, by opening more testing kits collection points , we are making it easier for borough adults with no symptoms to test themselves twice a week in the comfort of their own home.
“It’s very easy to use a Covid-19 home test, it only takes a couple of minutes and it provides peace of mind for you and your family.
“We are urging in particular adults from households with primary school, secondary school and college age children, including childcare and support bubbles, to use our collection sites and get tested twice a week.
“We are also appealing for residents that need to leave home for work to please have a twice weekly test.
“As lockdown restrictions gradually ease, we all need to play our part to help protect each other and reduce the spread in the borough, so as not to go back to tougher restrictions.”
