Mobile Covid-19 rapid testing unit at Rocket Pool this week

The City of Wolverhampton Council’s mobile unit, offering free rapid testing for Covid-19, is available at Rocket Pool Strengthening Families Hub, Rocket Pool Drive, Bradley, this week.

Anyone without symptoms of Covid-19 is invited to get tested at the mobile unit from 10am-6pm today (Monday) and 8am-6pm Tuesday to Sunday. Testing is free and people don't need to book in advance.

John Denley, Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, said: “We know that up to a third of individuals with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms of it and could therefore spread the virus onto others unknowingly.

“We have worked hard to make asymptomatic testing as accessible as possible, with rapid test centres at six sites across Wolverhampton, and the deployment of our mobile unit to Bradley this week will mean more people are able to get tested closer to home.”

As well as the mobile unit, free rapid testing for people without symptoms of Covid-19 is available at:

• The Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm
• The Jamia Masjid Bilal, Newhampton Road West, 10am-7pm daily
• Pendeford Library, Monday-Friday, 7am-6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm
• The Hub at Ashmore Park, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, 10am-6pm
• St Joseph’s Church, Willenhall Road, Monday-Friday, 2pm-6pm
• Bilston Community Centre, Prouds Lane, Thursday, Friday and Monday, 8am-4pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-4pm.

'Critical workers' have priority access to rapid testing at the Civic Centre between 8am and 9am, Monday to Friday; Pendeford Library from 7am-10am and 4pm-6pm, Monday to Friday; and Bilston Community Centre between 8am and 9am Monday, Thursday and Friday. Workers are asked to bring a form of ID to prove eligibility

John added: "Please remember that, even if you have had your Covid-19 vaccination, it's important to get tested regularly. You must continue to follow Government guidance. Keep your distance from others, wear a face covering and wash your hands or use hand sanitiser so that we can defeat this virus."

More information on rapid testing for people without symptoms of Covid-19 is available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus-testing. Rapid testing is not available for people who have symptoms of Covid-19, including a fever, a new continuous cough or a change to the sense of taste or smell, or people who have been told to isolate. Anyone with symptoms should immediately self-isolate and book a PCR test by visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or calling 119.

Latest figures show there were 63.7 new cases of Covid-19 per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over the seven days to 19 March. That means 168 people in the city tested positive for the virus in that seven day period – though the true number of new cases will likely be higher.

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. Information about the vaccine can be found at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/vaccine. Further details of the restrictions currently in place, and the answers to frequently asked questions, are available at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/covidalert.