More collection points open for free Covid-19 home test kits

Free Covid-19 home test kits can now be picked up at even more locations in Wolverhampton.

One in three people with Covid-19 do not have any symptoms but could spread the virus to family, friends or colleagues without knowing it – therefore people living or working in Wolverhampton are being encouraged to take twice weekly rapid tests to help reduce the spread of infection.

Free rapid testing is available at community testing sites and at home for anyone without symptoms of Covid-19 who is aged 18 and over, a secondary school pupil or a college student.

People can now collect free home test kits from:

• The Civic Centre, St Peter's Square, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm
• Pendeford Library, Monday-Friday, 8am-6pm, and Saturday and Sunday, 10am-6pm
• The Hub at Ashmore Park, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, 9am-6pm, and Saturday, 10am-6pm
• The PCR test centres at Showell Road, Blakenhall Resource Centre, Whitmore Reans Library, Faulkland Street car park, and Mountford Lane car park, Bilston, 2.30pm-8pm daily
• The mobile Covid-19 test unit, which this week is at West Park, 9am-7pm daily
• Bilston Market, 8.30am-2.30pm Monday, Thursday and Friday, and 8.30am-4pm Saturday
• Wolverhampton Market, 8.30am-2.30pm Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday, and 8.30am-4pm Saturday
• Local pharmacies offering the Pharmacy Collect service.

In addition, from today (Monday) home test kits are also avaliable from WV Active Aldersley, WV Active Bilston-Bert Williams and WV Active Central during each leisure centre’s normal opening hours.

People can collect up to two boxes – containing a total of 14 kits – at a time. The kits contain step-by-step instructions enabling people to complete their test and report their results, whether positive or negative, from the comfort of home. Anyone returning a positive result will be asked to complete a confirmatory PCR test.

For full details of local collection points, including pharmacies offering the Pharmacy Collect service, please visit https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/. 

Wolverhampton’s Director of Public Health, John Denley, said: “Getting into the habit of twice-weekly testing as part of our everyday lives will enable us all to play our part in keeping each other safe.

“Rapid testing is key to breaking the chain of transmission among people who have the virus but don't realise it. Regular testing also helps us to monitor any spread of the infection, and that's why it is important that all home test results are recorded, even if they are negative.

“The test kits are easy to use and give results in under an hour, so anyone who tests positive can self-isolate immediately, get a follow-up confirmatory PCR test and avoid passing the virus on to others.”

If people don't want to test at home, they can still be tested at the mobile unit or at the city's rapid test centres.

People who cannot access collect home test kits or get to a rapid test centre can order boxes of tests online at www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or via 119, and these will be delivered to their home.

Rapid testing is not available for people with coronavirus symptoms. Anyone with symptoms, including high temperature, a new or continuous cough, or a loss or taste or smell, should book a PCR test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.

Home test kits are available to anyone over 18, except for people working in care homes, where PCR testing is provided in the workplace. People returning from international travel are not eligible for home test kits either and should instead follow the latest travel and quarantine guidelines.