RAPID TESTING ROLLED OUT AND OTHER VIRUS NEWS
PEOPLE WITHOUT SYMPTOMS INVITED TO BOOK TEST
THE Covid hotspot where the county council’s rapid testing rollout will kick off has been revealed.
From tomorrow, people living in Wigston Fields are invited to book a new-style rapid test online.
The ward is part of the Oadby and Wigston borough, which has the highest infection rate in Leicester and Leicestershire at 492.9 cases per 100,000 people.
Swabs will be offered at the Freer Centre in the Wigston Fields ward.
The rapid testing programme will then roll out across other areas where rates continue to remain high.
The lateral flow tests should take no longer than 40 minutes, including registration, and you can leave the site straight after you have taken your swab.
Results will be sent out by text or e-mail by the end of that day.
The tests will be offered to people without symptoms in a bid to root out asymptomatic carriers of the virus.
County council leader Nick Rushton said: “We remain at the forefront of the battle against coronavirus.
“As one of the first in the country to localise test and trace, we have the expertise to make this work.
“When and where we need the community testing most, we’re ready to roll. If we come to your area, coming down for a test will help protect your community, so I’d urge everyone to take a lateral flow test if they can.”
The rapid testing operation will be rolled out in communities with the highest rates and are likely to be offered in local community centres or leisure centres. Initially, the testing will target the areas with persistently high rates of Covid.
One in three people who have coronavirus show no symptoms, and lateral flow testing, which is led by Leicestershire County Council’s Public Health team, can help quickly identify those individuals and stop the spread of infection.
The council is now calling on residents to come forward and sign up for the tests, as the more people who take part, the greater the impact will be in reducing the spread.
To be eligible for the test, you must live in the ward where testing is taking place – there is a postcode checker on the website – be asymptomatic, which means have no symptoms of the virus, and not be self-isolating at the time.
Those who provide a positive test will be asked to self-isolate and book an NHS test immediately via nhs.uk, or by calling 119.
This will help to confirm the initial test result.
The council’s future programme of lateral flow testing will be focused on other areas with persistently high Covid rates. Residents are asked to check for updates on social media, the county council website and local media to find out which area is next.
A similar set-up is already under way in the city, at the Fosse Road Neighbourhood Centre.
Residents are advised that if they have Covid symptoms, they still need to book themselves an NHS test and must isolate immediately.
Find out more and book a test at:
Coming down for a test will help protect your community, so I’d urge everyone to take a lateral flow test if they can Coun Rushton, right