Fast Covid-19 testing centre to open in Colchester tomorrow

The new testing centre will be located at Colchester Leisure World in Cowdray Avenue.

The site is the latest testing centre to open in Essex.

These centres are among the first of their kind in the region, offering Lateral Flow Tests to the wider population.

The tests are only for people who do not have symptoms and give results in around 30 minutes.

Tests are by appointment only and bookings should be made online where possible.

Tests can be booked here: https://www.essex.gov.uk/getting-tested-for-covid-19/if-you-dont-have-symptoms

Residents can also book by calling 0333 772 6144 to arrange an appointment.

Lines are open from 8am to 8pm every day, including Saturday and Sunday.

You can also email booking.confirmation@nhs.net and a member of staff will contact them to arrange an appointment.

Anyone booking should live in the Colchester borough.

This additional centre has been established in response to the current infection rate in the borough which has reached 880.3 per 100,000 people.

The centre will be based at Leisure World in Colchester

Dr Mike Gogarty, Essex’s Director of Public Health and Wellbeing, said: “Infection rates in Colchester continue to rise and local NHS services there are coming under significant strain as a result of the new variant of Covid-19.

"A ‘critical incident’ has been declared across the county, with critical care and bed capacity rising as well as high staff sickness and self-isolation levels.

“This additional testing centre will allow us to test even more people in the worst affected areas where we continue to see worryingly high rates.

"Thousands of people have already been tested at the fast testing centres we have opened.

“Testing people who feel well will help to identify the hidden cases in the community – people who may be unwittingly infecting others. If you test positive with one of the new fast tests, you will be asked to self-isolate, and take a further test to confirm the initial result."

Read more: MP says all Colchester care home residents should be vaccinated 'by the end of next week'

Mark Cory, leader of Colchester Council, said: “This is very good news to help us tackle Covid-19 in Colchester.

"The Covid-19 infection rate is high across the borough, putting enormous strain on hospitals and care homes. It is crucial that we increase testing to help reduce the spread.

“This new test centre provides rapid testing for residents to pro-actively check they are safe even when they don’t have symptoms.

"You can still pass the virus on even if you have no symptoms, so I welcome the introduction of this new testing centre at Leisure World Colchester.

"I would encourage residents without symptoms to book an appointment online. By working together, we can identify infections quicker and help keep our community safe.”

Anyone with symptoms should book a test via the NHS Test and Trace App, or online here: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test