Mobile Coronavirus testing sites to be set up in Aylesbury and High Wycombe

Mobile coronavirus testing sites are to be set up in Aylesbury on Monday 18th May 2020 and High Wycombe on Tuesday 19th May 2020.

For three days from Monday 18th May 2020 a mobile testing site will be set up in Aylesbury while from Tuesday 19th May 2020 there will be a mobile testing site in High Wycombe.

They will be the second mobile sites to come to both Aylesbury and High Wycombe and follow others in Buckingham and Amersham in recent weeks.

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

Anyone who is eligible and wishes to be tested at the Aylesbury or High Wycombe mobile sites must arrange an appointment on the national booking website first at https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk.

Tests are not available on a ‘drop-in’ basis must be booked in advance. Further details of the testing sites will be provided to people when they book their test.

Only certain categories of people are eligible for testing at this time, like NHS or other essential workers (and some household members) or people over 65 with coronavirus symptoms. The tests are not available for other members of the general public at this time. The eligibility categories are :

• All those working on the frontline in health or in care homes (with or without symptoms).
• People over 65 with symptoms.
• People with symptoms going to work who cannot work from home (for example, construction workers, shop workers, emergency plumbers and delivery drivers).
• Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus and lives with any of those identified above.

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

Anyone being tested must bring appropriate ID (like an NHS ID card) or a letter / email from their employer to confirm their key worker status.

Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Engagement at Buckinghamshire Council, said: ‘Testing is vital as together we work together to stop the spread of coronavirus and it is good to see Buckinghamshire being well-served by these mobile sites.

We would urge anyone who is eligible, and who thinks they should be tested, to 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.‘

*Source of article : Press release from Buckinghamshire Council.