Theses testing sites will use Lateral Flow Device (LFD) or rapid tests which can provide results usually within 30 minutes.
With around one in three people who have coronavirus showing no symptoms, this testing is vital for those individuals who cannot work from home and have regular contact with other people through their job.
Regular testing will help identify more people who have COVID-19 and help to reduce the spread of the virus as they will know to self-isolate.
We anticipate the community testing centres at the following locations:
- Flitwick Leisure Centre (from 5 February)
- The Dunstable Centre (from 8 February)
- Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre in Biggleswade (from 11 February)
The testing centres at Flitwick and Dunstable will operate from 10am – 5pm, 7 days a week. The test centre at Biggleswade will operate 10am – 5pm on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday.
Please note a PCR testing centre (for those with symptoms) also operates from Saxon Pool and Leisure Centre in Biggleswade on Tuesdays and Saturdays.
We will be encouraging people who live or work in Central Bedfordshire, who carry out specific customer facing roles to get tested twice a week at any of the centres. They do not need to book an appointment; they can just turn up when it is convenient for them.
These testing centres will be for private companies who have under 250 employees – those with over 250 are being encouraged to have their own LFD testing provision, as per Department of Health and Social Care guidance.
Initially when the centres first open, we will pilot the centres with priority workers who are council staff and staff of some of our partner organisations. This way we can run a soft launch at the centres with these staff before expanding the testing to others. Initially the following will be encouraged to get tested:
- Day care staff for people with learning disabilities and older people
- CBC social workers, enforcement officers, peripatetic teachers and frontline Housing staff
- Police Officers and PCSOs
- Fire service officers
Once we are confident the centres are running smoothly, we will encourage the following groups to get tested:
- Early Years staff who are not in a maintained setting / associated with a primary school
- Childminders and related occupations
- Houseparents and residential wardens
- Workers providing face to face support for residents who are in transitional accommodation/refuges/hostels
- Extra Care Staff where the setting isn’t CQC registered
- Housing association front line staff
- Prison Service Officers
- Undertakers, mortuary and crematorium assistants (if working directly with the deceased)
- Taxi and cab drivers and chauffeurs
- Refuse workers
- Pharmacy and other dispensing assistants
When capacity allows, we will then extend the testing to other occupations such as construction workers, cleaners and retail cashiers.
Priority groups will be reviewed on a regular basis, with the potential to offer the testing wider in the future.
When the first centre opens we will have information on our website at www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk/rapidtests and we will keep this web page updated as the testing becomes available to more priority groups.