A new and easily accessible walk-through Covid-19 testing site has opened in Kingston, Kingston Council announced today.
The site, situated in the car park behind Surrey County Hall, will be open seven days a week, 8am-8pm with appointments available for those with coronavirus symptoms.
The new site is part of the Government’s push for more testing capacity and accessibility across local communities, as issues with testing have been reported across south west London.
Kingston Council’s Director of Public Health Iona Lidington said: “There is now very high demand for coronavirus tests and it is vital we test people with these symptoms to help stop the spread of the virus and protect our community.
“Finding positive cases and asking these people and their household to self-isolate is key to breaking the chains of transmission, so we can keep Kingston safe and try to avoid the need for greater restrictions on daily life.
“It is still vital that anyone with Covid-19 symptoms gets tested. By increasing the testing capacity within our borough through the new testing site, we want to make it easier for all residents who have symptoms to access a test quickly.”
The site requires those visiting to follow stringent public health rules, including social distancing, wearing face coverings, practising good personal hygiene and not travelling by taxi or public transport, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.
People who attend an appointment at the site will be guided on how to get to and from the site safely when they have booked their test, and vulnerable people or people with disabilities will have extra support available.
The main symptoms of the coronavirus are a high temperature, a new and persistent cough, and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.
Anyone with any of these symptoms is advised to book a test online, or by calling 119.
