Further Covid-19 testing site in Stoke-on-Trent

A further national Covid-19 testing site has opened in Stoke-on-Trent.

The walk-through testing site started to operate at Fenton Manor car park from Tuesday 13 October with appointments made available each day. It doubles the number of testing centres in the city with a further site set to open in the north of the city before the end of October. Tests should be booked at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus or by phoning 119. From Wednesday 14 October the site opens between 8am and 8pm seven days a week.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been working with the Government and other partners to offer more testing across Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire to help residents with symptoms stay safe and to be able to get back to work or school as quickly as possible if they test negative. This will be the fifth Local Testing Site to open its doors in the county, with the others in Cannock, Burton, Newcastle-under-Lyme and on the Keele University campus. The national testing facility at Fenton will support Staffordshire University and the south of the city particularly, but will be open to all residents.

Alongside the current regional testing site at Stoke City FC South Car Park this provides an enhanced testing capacity for the city and for other parts of North Staffordshire. Before trying to book at the community testing centre, people should first try to get a testing appointment through the national system. Residents can book at www.stoke.gov.uk. If residents do need to cancel their booking, they are urged to follow the instruction on their confirmation email.

Cllr Abi Brown, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council said: “We have been working hard with a number of partners to secure this testing facility for people in Stoke-on-Trent. It is great news that more testing capacity is now available in the city focused on the south of the city. This extra facility strengthens our efforts to tackle the virus – it supports people to get back to school and work quickly or to self-isolate if they test positive so they minimise the risk of spreading the virus. With positive cases continuing to increase across the city, it’s imperative that everyone plays their part in tackling this horrible disease – having more testing such as this is a critical tool in our armoury that helps us to kick coronavirus out of Stoke-on-Trent.”

Dr Paul Edmondson Jones, director of adult social care, health integration and wellbeing said: “Being able to identify who has covid is significant. More testing in the city not only protects more of our residents but also allows us to understand more around transmission in the city. If anyone has symptoms they are urged to book a test as the best way to protect your family and friends.”

The news about the test centre comes as people are also being reminded of the need to self-isolate if they are awaiting a coronavirus test result.