Firms urged to test their staff
ASYMPTOMATIC CENTRE CALL
BUSINESSES operating during the lockdown are being encouraged to use asymptomatic Covid-19 testing in Mansfield.
Mass testing centres at the One Call Stadium and Oak Tree Leisure Centre are now targeting companies which have remained open for business.
The move comes as health officials try to identify secret carriers of the disease, testing people without symptoms but who may be infectious.
The two centres opened last week and are also available for the public, with no appointments needed.
People getting tested must register using a smartphone before entering the centre to self-administer a swab.
Results are texted to their mobile phones or emailed between half an hour and an hour after the test.
One business which has taken advantage of the tests is the And why not group of pubs, bars and restaurants in the town.
The group, which is still selling takeaway food, is sending staff for testing every week.
Damien Calvo, 42, senior general manager for And why not and Canvas in Mansfield town centre, said: “It was good and easy, the staff are really friendly and the process is simple once you get into it and know what to do.
“I think it’s really, really important, because we’ve got to help get the rates down and ensure peoples’ safety. It’s going to be really important for other companies to get involved in this.
“We’re going to get all of the team who are currently working, across all of our venues, to come down here and have a test once a week, mainly to ensure the safety of everybody who’s working.”
Milly Fletcher, 22, who works at Andwhynot, said: “It’s peace of mind at the end of the day, for when you’re going home and you know you have or haven’t got it.
“It was more simple than I thought it would be. I thought it was going to be quite complicated but it was nice that you can do it for yourself.
“Work have said that they would like us to come each week. We start work on a Friday so if we come on a Wednesday or a Thursday to make sure, then we know we’re safe for the weekend.”
Syreeta Wilson, 45, another Andwhynot staff member, added: “It will make us feel safe. It’s not like it’s a big kitchen – we’re all close together and for a lot of the time.”
Oak Tree Leisure Centre is open from 7am until 3pm Tuesday to Saturday. One Call Stadium is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 9am to 7pm, and between 10am-2pm on Sundays.
People with symptoms should book PCR tests on the Government website.