The city now has 4 test centres, with the capacity to carry out over 1,000 tests each day.
They include a drive through centre at Aldersley Leisure Village which is open 7 days a week from 10.30am to 3pm and 3 walk through centres, at Showell Road, off Stafford Road, at the council run Mountford Lane car park in Bilston and in the car park of Whitmore Reans Health Centre, open 7 days a week from 8am to 8pm.
Symptoms of Covid-19 include a fever, a new, continuous cough and loss or change to a person’s sense of taste and smell. Anyone with symptoms should book a test at Coronavirus (COVID-19) or by calling 119. The test involves taking a swab of the inside of the nose and the back of the throat, using a long cotton bud.
Latest figures show there were an average of 13.37 cases per 100,000 people in Wolverhampton over 7 days up to 22 August, compared to 17.15 cases per 100,000 people the week before.
John Denley, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health, said: "Effective and accessible testing is a key part of our fight against coronavirus.
"It is helping us prevent the spread of Covid-19 and enabling people who have contracted the virus to protect themselves, their family and anyone they may have been in contact with.
"We've now established 4 coronavirus test centres across Wolverhampton. They are open 7 days a week and are located close to where people live and work, meaning anyone who needs one can get a test in a timely fashion.
“The message is clear, if you develop symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how mild, you need to immediately self isolate and book a free test.”
Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will be asked to share information about people that have been close contacts recently.
Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, added: "The test is quick and free and, combined with the Test and Trace programme, will enable us to track the spread of the virus, identify trends early on and better tackle potential outbreaks; this in turn will help us avoid a local lockdown."
For more details of the four local testing sites, please visit Coronavirus Testing.
The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at GOV.UK and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at Coronavirus advice and information. There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves and their families from coronavirus from the NHS at Coronavirus (COVID-19).
The council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind campaign offers clear and simple advice about how people can help themselves, and how they can support others who may be particularly vulnerable at this time. For more information, please visit Stay Safe, Be Kind.
