The mobile Coronavirus (Covid-19) testing facility is available at 1Leisure Medina until Friday (1st May). Bookings can be made by calling 03333 218865.
As announced by Government yesterday (Tuesday, 28th April), the eligibility criteria for tests has changed, and tests are now being offered to a wider group of people.
This includes:
- keyworkers or member(s) of their household who have started to experience Covid-19 symptoms in the last five days;
- all workers who cannot work from home and any member(s) of their household who have started to experience Covid-19 symptoms in the last five days; and
- those aged over 65 and any member(s) of their household who have started to experience Covid-19 symptoms in the last five days.
Developing response
It remains important to appreciate that this is part of a continued developing response and further review continues to ensure that sufficient capacity is available to test all those who meet the eligibility criteria, and to ensure they can get a test.
In addition, we are pleased to be able to confirm the mobile facility will transition to being a fixed provision for testing on the Island, remaining at 1Leisure Medina car park, but staffed by NHS colleagues from next week.
Opening hours
It will be available on Saturday (2 May) and then the testing facility will be open initially from Monday to Saturday, from 9am until 2.30pm each day. It will be an official Satellite Testing Centre (STC) of the National Testing Programme.
The process for testing will continue to be provided as it has been, and can be used by people in cars or on foot.
Call in advance
For testing on Island, all users are strongly advised to contact 03333 218865 before setting off to find out if they are eligible for testing, and to obtain an appointment, which will reduce the chance of having to wait or declined a test.
On contacting the appointment booking line, you will be provided with advice about eligibility, what you need to bring (including employment identification) with you to the test as well as information about what to expect.
Symptoms in last five days
The Island facility has been arranged through close partnership working of the Local Resilience Forum (LRF) to enable key workers who have started to experience symptoms of Covid-19 within the past five days, to access local testing facilities, rather than having to travel to the mainland.
As well as testing being made available on the Island, the central government testing initiative using the postal service has been launched, with a limited number of tests per day.
Full information in relation to how essential workers and others can access testing in this way can be found on the Government Website.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office. Ed
Image: pixnio under CC BY 2.0
