A new walk-through coronavirus testing facility has opened at Hertsmere Borough Council’s Civic Car Park for those with symptoms to book appointments, as part of the government’s UK-wide drive to continue to improve the accessibility of coronavirus testing for local communities.
Testing is only available for those with coronavirus symptoms – a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119. If you attend without a booked appointment, you are likely to be turned away.
The new site is situated so it is easily accessible without a car. 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 while travelling to and from the testing centre.
Anyone attending an appointment at a walk-through test site will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely, with additional support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities. Testing at the new site started on Thursday, January 7, 2021 with appointments made available each day.
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.
Leader of the Council, councillor Morris Bright MBE, said: “I am pleased a convenient walk-in test centre is coming to Hertsmere. We have been working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care to ensure we were able to provide a safe and convenient site for people to get a COVID-19 test.
“Testing is an important element in the fight against the pandemic. I’ve no doubt this new test centre will be of great benefit to our community in the weeks and months ahead but it is still important that we all remember that each and every one of us has a role to play in reducing the spread of the virus. It is still with us, so it is really important that if you have symptoms, no matter how mild, you stay at home, isolate and book a free test.
“These sites are not possible without the hard work of many people and I would like to thank everyone involved for their incredible efforts and for the way we have come together as a partnership of all organisations responsible for health and care to coordinate our efforts and make these things happen.”
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