New walk-through coronavirus testing site opens in Aylesbury

The new walk-through Coronavirus testing site in Aylesbury. (Image supplied by Buckinghamshire Council)

A new walk-through coronavirus testing site has been set up in Aylesbury.

The site is located in the car park of Buckinghamshire Council’s Gateway building in Aylesbury, where it is planned to remain for the foreseeable future.

This site is open for use by anyone who has coronavirus symptoms, however appointments must be booked first – it is not a ‘drop-in’ site.

With cases of Covid-19 rising, anyone with even mild symptoms is being encouraged to arrange a test to help stop the spread of the virus. Symptoms include a high temperature; a new, continuous cough; or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste. Anyone with one or more of these symptoms should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.

The new walk-through testing site is accessible on foot and bicycle and these are the recommended ways to get there. People using the site are encouraged not to drive there if at all possible.

Anyone attending an appointment at the walk-through site will be given guidance on getting to and from the test site safely, with extra support for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.

Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Public Health and Community Engagement at Buckinghamshire Council, said: ‘This new walk-through testing site in Aylesbury is great news for us as we continue to work together to stop the spread of coronavirus throughout the county.

If you have any symptoms of coronavirus, no matter how mild, please do book a test.

We know cases are on the rise here, as they are in the rest of the country, so it is vital we remain as vigilant as possible to protect the people around us and keep the virus under control. So please follow the guidance – hands, face, space, and the ‘rule of six’ if you are meeting anyone. And, if you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace, please do follow the advice you are given – it will help to save lives.‘

Further information about walk-through testing sites can be found by wathcing the following video on YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcRw92bO8xg&t=50s.

Since Monday 28th September 2020 anyone can be fined if they do not stay at home and self-isolate following a positive test result for Covid-19 or if they are contacted by NHS Test and Trace and instructed to self-isolate. The full guidance for households with possible coronavirus (Covid-19) infection can be read on the government website at https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

*Source of article : Press release from Buckinghamshire Council.