RESIDENTS and workers in Solihull who don’t have Covid symptoms can access regular rapid tests in a bid to tackle the virus.
Solihull Council has launched a community testing strategy and is offering tests to all at North Solihull Sports Centre and Tudor Grange Leisure Centre which have been used during lockdown for those unable to work from home.
The centres use self-administered swab tests for anyone aged over 18.
Children aged between two and 11 should have the test done by a parent or guardian and anyone over 12 should be supervised by parent or guardian.
Trained staff will process the test and results will be sent by text message from NHS Test and Trace within the hour.
Both sites are open seven days a week Monday to Friday 8am to 5.30pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 1.30pm and tests must be booked online.
Anyone needing help to book should call 0121 704 6918, Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm, Friday 9am to 4pm – this number is only for help if you are unable to access the website or if you have testing queries.
Anyone generally feel unwell or develop symptoms (high temperature, new continuous cough, loss or change in sense of smell or taste) should book a test via the national website or by phoning 119 and the local testing locations are Monkspath Hall Road or Birmingham Airport.
Ruth Tennant, Director of Public Health said: “Refocusing our efforts to encourage the wider community to ‘keep testing’ is the next step in our local testing strategy to make testing an accessible and routine part of everyday life for us all.
“As more restrictions are lifted we will look at other ways to make getting tested even easier. In the meantime we have two local, and large scale community sites ready for people to book into.”
