Rapid Covid testing available to everyone
08 Apr 2021 ARCHIVED (over 3 months old) - view latest news
In an expansion to the national Covid testing programme, from 9 April everyone in Northumberland will be able to access free, regular, rapid testing.
Residents without symptoms of Covid 19 will be able to access rapid lateral flow tests (LFDs) for themselves and their families to use at home twice a week, in line with government guidance.
By making rapid tests available to everyone, more cases will be detected, breaking chains of transmission and saving lives. LFDs are easy to use and can give results in 30 minutes, so those who test positive can self-isolate immediately and avoid passing the virus on to others.
This expanded national testing offer for people without symptoms will be delivered through:
- A home ordering service, which allows people to order lateral flow tests online to be delivered to their home
- Workplace testing programmes, done on-site or kits provided to do at home
- In-person testing at a Northumberland County Council community testing site
- Collection of home testing kits at a Northumberland County Council collection point
- Collection at a local PCR test site during specific test collection time windows - click here for more information.
- Testing on-site at schools and colleges
From Monday 12 April, collection sites will be operating in Northumberland from the Symptom Free Test Centres at:
- Ashington Leisure Centre, Lintonville Terrace, Ashington, NE63 9JY
- Willowburn Leisure Centre, Willowburn Avenue, Alnwick, NE66 2JH
- Wentworth Leisure Centre, Wentworth Place, Hexham, NE46 3PD
Home testing kits can be collected by anyone aged over 18 years.
Opening hours will be:
- Monday - 9am – 7.00pm
- Tuesday - 9am – 4pm
- Wednesday - CLOSED
- Thursday - 9am – 7.00pm
- Friday - 9am-12:15pm
Collection sites for home test kits will also opening in Blyth and Berwick in the coming days.
Liz Morgan, Director of Public Health at Northumberland County Council said: “Taking a rapid test is quick and convenient, at home or in one of our symptom free test centres.
“Testing is an important tool in bringing the virus under control and help us get back to normality. We would urge everyone to access the testing to help protect each other.”
If testing at home, individuals will need to register their results online or by calling 119. They should self-isolate if they test positive and arrange to have a follow up PCR test within 2 days of their result using the same process as someone who has symptoms.
Anyone with symptoms of COVID-19 – such as a new and continuous cough, loss of taste and smell, or a temperature - should book a test online or by calling 119.