Wiltshire Council’s roll out of the government’s rapid COVID-19 community testing initiative locally to help drive down transmission rates gets under way tomorrow (18 February).

 

The programme, in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, is specifically aimed at asymptomatic people at small businesses who cannot work from home, and private early years settings and childminders. Eligible people will take a Lateral Flow Test.

 

You can now book a test at the council’s centre at Devizes Leisure Centre with appointments starting from tomorrow. Other centres will open in due course in Chippenham Trowbridge and Salisbury but for the time being you can only book a place at Devizes.

 

The centre cannot accept people dropping in, and everyone must book an appointment and not have any symptoms of COVID-19.

 

The self-administered test should take no more than 15 minutes and results should be known within half an hour.

 

This is not to be confused with surge testing. Surge testing is increased testing (including door-to-door testing) and enhanced contact tracing in specific locations in England and is not currently taking place in Wiltshire.  

 

NHS Test and Trace is working with government departments, institutions and employers across both public and private sectors to support delivery of asymptomatic testing to large organisations, including those providing critical services. More information on this can be found at Register to order coronavirus tests for your employees - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

 

Free testing continues to be available to everyone in Wiltshire who has COVID-19 symptoms – high temperature, continuous cough or loss of/change in taste or smell. People should visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or call 119 to book a test in that instance.

 

Those in smaller businesses (employees of 50 or less) who cannot work from home, and private (non-maintained) early years settings have been chosen because they are not currently involved in any other mass-testing scheme.

 

Anyone who receives a positive Lateral Flow Test result automatically activate legal obligations to self-isolate, and may also claim for a Test and Trace payment if they are eligible.

 

You can book your place at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/public-health-coronavirus-testing, where you will also find additional information.

 

You may find this pack of information useful, which contains FAQs –  Small business information pack