Walk-in testing centre to open for winter

A new walk- through Covid-19 testing centre has opened in Inverness.

Created by the UK Government, the new centre is located in the car park of the council headquarters and will be operated by Mitie.

The centre is one of 11 created in Scotland so far, with the Scottish Government aiming to have 22 open over the winter period.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced recently that Scotland aims to increase testing capacity to 65,000 tests per day by building three regional testing hubs in G l a s g o w, Edinburgh and Aberdeen as well as increasing the amount of testing done by the UK Government.

Scotland Office minister David Duguid said: “The UK Government is helping all parts of the UK fight the coronavirus pandemic and this new walk- through testing centre in Inverness will make it easier for people to get tested.

“Te s t i n g is vital, helping to manage local outbreaks and protecting p e o p l e’s livelihoods.

“The UK Government is providing the bulk of Covid testing in Scotland, and this new walk-through centre is just the latest in our extensive testing network.

“We are pleased to be working with local and commercial partners. These sites are not possible without the hard work of many people and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work to get this testing centre up and running.”

Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: “Containing and suppressing this virus relies on testing being accessible to everyone and this site will further increase our testing capacity ahead of potential spikes as we move into winter.”