More coronavirus mobile testing sites in Buckinghamshire this week
More coronavirus mobile testing sites are coming to Buckinghamshire over the next week, and anyone with symptoms, no matter how mild, is being urged to use them as soon as they begin to feel unwell.
The locations are:
Aylesbury – from Monday 17 August for up to 3 days
Buckingham – from Monday 17 August for up to 3 days
Marlow – from Wednesday 19 August for up to 3 days
High Wycombe – from Wednesday 19 August for up to 3 days
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms (a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) is eligible to be tested. The severity of symptoms can vary from person to person – people are being urged to be tested even if they only feel mildly unwell to help identify cases and reduce the spread of the virus.
Anyone told to have a test before going, for example, to hospital for surgery is also eligible, and you can arrange a test for someone else in your household with symptoms.
The testing sites in High Wycombe are in addition to other local and regional coronavirus testing sites, which are still available for residents in Buckinghamshire to use.
Tests should be booked first and are not available on a ‘drop-in’ basis at this time. Details of the testing sites will be provided to people when they book. You should get tested within the first five days of having symptoms but Public Health are encouraging people to get tested as soon as they begin to feel unwell.
To arrange a test, go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus , click on the ‘Testing for coronavirus’ section and select the right option for you. It is also possible to now order a home testing kit if you cannot get to a testing site.
If the mobile testing sites are fully booked then you will be offered testing at the next-closest location.
A new ‘hybrid’ testing centre is also now running in Slough, in Montem Car Park, Montem Lane. This is open for both booked and drop-in visits. It is open to Bucks residents and visitors can attend on both car and on foot. People can also be tested – at this Slough site only – if they suspect they have been exposed to the coronavirus but are not displaying symptoms.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Engagement at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “As we have seen in other parts of the country, we must all remain vigilant to help stop the spread of the virus, keep people healthy and avoid more restrictions coming back into place in Buckinghamshire. Even if your symptoms are mild and you don’t feel they are bothering you much, we would still urge you to please get tested as early as possible. The more cases we can identify, the better able we are to keep this virus under control.”
Dr Raj Bajwa, GP and Chair of NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Testing is essential to help keep NHS services running smoothly during this outbreak, and to help vulnerable people stay as safe as possible from coronavirus infection. These mobile sites offer a great boost to our testing capabilities in Buckinghamshire, so we hope they will be well-used by those that need them.”