Bucks Council leader urges Aylesbury volunteers to use rapid testing sites

Councillor Tett has urged Bucks residents to use rapid testing centres available in Aylesbury or High Wycombe. These sites are available for volunteers who are supporting the vaccination rollout.

He said: "We now have rapid testing sites in Aylesbury and High Wycombe for people who are leaving their homes to go to work or to volunteer to get tested for COVID-19 if they don’t have symptoms.

"I’ve been myself and while doing the swab is a bit uncomfortable, it’s really quick, easy and straightforward. These rapid lateral flow tests will help us detect infections in people who don’t have symptoms so please do come and get a test if you can’t work from home or are going out to volunteer."

Councillor Tett also wanted to make sure Bucks residents were aware of the updates to the Uk Government's shielding list.

The UK Government has announced a further 1.7 million people will be added to the vulnerable list which already contains 2.3 million people.

A new statistical model has identified the new shielding list using more factors rather than just health.

The people added will receive a letter from the NHS in the coming days and will receive priority for vaccinations against the Coronavirus.

In his latest newsletter, Councillor Tett said: "You may have seen that yesterday the Government added a further 1.7 million people to the ‘shielding’ list, as they are now taking in other risk factors such as age, ethnicity and weight when evaluating how vulnerable a person is to COVID-19.

"Any Bucks residents who fall into this group will get a letter from the NHS explaining that they will now be advised to ‘shield’ and will be eligible for added support as a result, such as priority shopping slots; plus they will be eligible to receive a vaccine now."

The tests are not for those suffering from coronavirus symptoms who should organise tests online or by calling 119.

Councillor Tett also informed Bucks citizens aged over 65 can now book appointments online to receive their first doses of the vaccine. Councillor Tett also urged over 70s to contact the NHS if they haven't received the jab yet as they should have already been invited.

Other points of emphasis in this week's briefing included reiterating that the Coronavirus vaccine is safe and offers the best protection against the virus. Councillor Tett also offered the following reminder, saying: "Please remember, the NHS will never ask for your bank details and will not ask you to pay for a vaccine."

He finished by expressing his pleasure at continued fall in new cases across Buckinghamshire , but cautioning the need for Bucks residents to continue to follow lockdown restrictions.