A new walk-through coronavirus testing facility is to open on the car park behind the County Offices, off Busher Walk in Kendal.
Testing at the new site is expected to begin on Tuesday 8 December. Testing is available for everyone, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
The testing site is part of the Government’s UK-wide drive to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for communities.
Cllr Peter Thornton, Deputy Leader of Cumbria County Council, said: “This new local testing site is very welcome. We’ve had mobile testing units visiting the town regularly, but the provision of a full time test site in Kendal is a real boost. Access to quick and easy local testing is a key part of the effort to contain this virus and will help get our local economy back on its feet.”
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms, however mild, can get a free swab test that takes less than a minute. Tests should be booked or ordered as soon as symptoms begin at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119 and people being tested can expect their result the next day. Home test kits can also be ordered by people who cannot get to a test site.
Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout (including travelling to and from the testing centre).
Anyone attending an appointment at the walk-through testing site will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely.
Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them track their contacts. This will help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, advising them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus. They will be advised to also book at test if they develop symptoms.
Testing for COVID-19 is available to anybody in Cumbria at a range of locations. Details are available online at https://northcumbriaccg.nhs.uk/covidtesting, including dates of the Mobile Testing Units which continue to operate across the county.
