More coronavirus mobile testing sites for Aylesbury and High Wycombe next week
More coronavirus mobile testing sites will be coming to Aylesbury and High Wycombe early next week.
One will be up and running in Aylesbury for up to three days from Monday, 18 May.
And another will be operating from High Wycombe for up to three days from Tuesday, 19 May.
These are the second mobile sites to come to both Aylesbury and High Wycombe, and follow others in Buckingham and Amersham in recent weeks.
They are in addition to other local and regional coronavirus testing sites, which are still available for residents in Buckinghamshire to use.
Anyone who is eligible and wishes to be tested at the Aylesbury or High Wycombe mobile sites must arrange an appointment on the national booking website first – https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk.
Tests must be booked and are not available on a ‘drop-in’ basis. You can also book a test at a different site via this website. Further details of the testing sites will be provided to people when they book their test.
Only certain categories of people are eligible for testing at this time, like NHS or other essential workers (and some household members), or people over 65 with coronavirus symptoms. More details of these categories are listed below.
If these mobile testing sites are fully booked then you will be offered testing at the next-closest location.
People being tested must bring appropriate ID (like an NHS ID card) or a letter/ email from their employer to confirm their key worker status.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Engagement at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “Testing is vital as together we work together to stop the spread of coronavirus and it is good to see Buckinghamshire being well-served by these mobile sites. We would urge anyone who is eligible, and who thinks they should be tested, to please book a slot.”
Dr Raj Bajwa, GP and Chair of NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Testing is essential to help keep NHS services running smoothly during this outbreak, and to help vulnerable people stay as safe as possible from coronavirus infection. These mobile sites will offer a great boost to our testing capabilities in Buckinghamshire, so we hope they will be well-used by those that need them.”
Tests are being offered to the following categories of people, and, in some cases, members of their household. They are not available for other members of the general public at this time:
- All those working on the frontline in health or in care homes (with or without symptoms)
- People over 65 with symptoms
- People with symptoms going to work who cannot work from home (for example, construction workers, shop workers, emergency plumbers and delivery drivers)
- Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus and lives with any of those identified above
You can find more details about eligibility for testing here – https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested