More coronavirus testing sites for Aylesbury and Amersham over coming week

The Aylesbury site will be open on Saturday, 18 July, for one day only and then returns to the town on Wednesday, 22 July, for up to three days.

And the Amersham site will be operational from Monday, 20 July, for up to two days.

These are in addition to other local and regional coronavirus testing sites, which are still available for residents in Buckinghamshire to use.

Anyone with coronavirus symptoms (a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste) is currently eligible to be tested. Also, anyone told to have a test before going, for example, to hospital for surgery is eligible.

However, tests for essential workers, such as frontline healthcare staff, are being prioritised over tests for the wider public at this time. Tests at these mobile sites should be booked first and are not available on a ‘drop-in’ basis at this time. Further details of the testing sites will be provided to people when they book their test.

To arrange a test, go to www.gov.uk/coronavirus and click on the appropriate link for you within the ‘testing’ section of information. The booking process is slightly different for members of the public to that for essential workers.

If the mobile testing sites are fully booked then you will be offered testing at the next-closest location.

A new ‘hybrid’ testing centre is also now running in Slough, in Montem Car Park, Montem Lane. This is open for both booked and drop-in visits. It is open to Bucks residents and visitors can attend on both car and on foot. People can also be tested - at this Slough site only - if they suspect they have been exposed to the coronavirus but are not displaying symptoms.

Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Engagement at Buckinghamshire Council, said: “Testing is now available to anyone who has coronavirus symptoms, not just essential workers – although they continue to be prioritised for obvious reasons. Testing continues to be vital as aspects of lockdown ease and we work together to stop the spread of coronavirus. If you think you need a test, please book a slot.”

Dr Raj Bajwa, GP and Chair of NHS Buckinghamshire Clinical Commissioning Group, said: “Testing is essential to help keep NHS services running smoothly during this outbreak, and to help vulnerable people stay as safe as possible from coronavirus infection. These mobile sites will offer a great boost to our testing capabilities in Buckinghamshire, so we hope they will be well-used by those that need them.”

You can find out more about getting tested as a member of the public with symptoms here - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/testing-and-tracing/ask-for-a-test-to-check-if-you-have-coronavirus/

And you can find out more about getting tested as an essential worker here - https://www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test-essential-workers