Local businesses have until the end of this week to apply for financial support of up to £10,000 to enable staff to undertake regular rapid Covid-19 testing.
Wolverhampton's Business Testing Grant is available to any organisation which commits to over 75% of its workforce being tested for Covid-19 twice a week, either in the workplace, at a rapid test centre or at home.
Grants of £500 are available to businesses with one or two employees, £2,000 is available to those with between three and 49 employees, businesses with 50 to 249 staff can apply for grants of £5,000 and grants of £10,000 are available to those employing 250 workers or more.
Employers have until Friday (30 April) to apply. Businesses which are expected to be able to open from 17 May under the Government’s road map out of lockdown are also encouraged to apply by Friday. For more details, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/testinggrant.
A third of people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms and could therefore pass it onto others unknowingly. Regular testing of employees will track down these cases and stop onward transmission, helping keep businesses and the wider community safe from the deadly virus.
Richard Lawrence, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Director of Regeneration, said: “The Business Testing Grant is intended to encourage businesses to embrace rapid testing and to help with any costs this might entail, for instance with PPE and cleaning for on-site testing and time away from work to allow staff to get tested.
“I would encourage employers to sign up for a Business Testing Grant by the end of this week to help ensure that their staff members are able to access rapid testing twice a week.”
Meanwhile, sole traders and the self-employed can get a regular test either by using home test kits, or at rapid test centres or the mobile testing unit, which this week is at West Park. More information on rapid testing, including advice about how to take the test at home, is available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-testing.
Businesses with questions about rapid testing for their workforce should email lft@wolverhampton.gov.uk. Further advice and guidance on operating businesses in a Covid-secure manner can be found at www.tradewithconfidence.org.uk.
Information about business grants can be found at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/businessgrants. The latest national business support measures can be found at www.gov.uk/coronavirus/business-support.
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