People who must leave their homes to make essential visits during lockdown are being urged to get tested in one of Staffordshire’s Community Testing Centres.
The centres, one in each district and borough are open seven days a week for people without symptoms.
Being open over weekends will give people having to make essential visits through the week more options to get tested regularly.
Dr Johnny McMahon Staffordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said:
“Everyone in Staffordshire should be staying at home wherever possible.
“However, there are some people who cannot work from home and some people who are making essential visits.
“Many of these permitted visits are to carry out vital caring responsibilities or fetching essential shopping and medical supplies – often to the most vulnerable people.
“For these people we are strongly urging to get tested regularly.
“Getting a test is quick, simple, free and now seven days a week. Making it part of your weekly routine may well protect the people you interact with on a day-to-day basis and the wider community at large.
“1 in 3 people do not display any symptoms – getting tested regularly will give you the peace of mind that you are not unwittingly spreading the virus to people at the most risk.”
For anybody in a Covid hotspot area where numbers of cases are very high, it is especially important that they get tested if they have to leave the house.
The Covid-19 community testing sites and hotspot areas are as below:
| District / borough | Community testing sites | Hotspot areas |
| Cannock Chase | Chase Leisure Centre, Stafford Road, Cannock, WS11 4AL
(Monday to Sunday)
|
Cannock East, Cannock North, Cannock South, Hagley, Hawks Green, Heath Hayes East and Wimblebury, Hednesford Green Heath, Hednesford South, Norton Canes, Rawnsley |
| East Staffordshire | Hillfield House, Hillfield Lane, Burton-upon-Trent DE13 0BW
(Monday to Sunday)
|
Anglesey, Branston, Brizlincote, Burton, Eton Park, Horninglow, Shobnall, Stapenhill |
| Lichfield | Lichfield City FC, Brownsfield Road, Eastern Avenue, Lichfield, WS13 6AY
(Monday – Thursday)
Burntwood Leisure Centre, High Street, Chasetown, Burntwood, WS7 3XH (Friday – Sunday)
|
Chase Terrace, Chasetown, Fazeley, Shenstone, Whittington and Streethay |
| Newcastle-under-Lyme | Seabridge Centre, Ash Way, Newcastle-under-Lyme, ST5 3UB
(Monday to Sunday)
|
None |
| South Staffordshire | Wombourne Library, Church Road, Wombourne, Wolverhampton, WV5 9EZ
(Monday to Sunday)
|
Bilbrook, Cheslyn Hay North and Saredon, Cheslyn Hay South, Codsall North, Essington, Himley and Swindon, Huntington and Hatherton, Perton East, Trysull and Seisdon, Wombourne South East, Wombourne South West |
| Stafford | Kingston Centre, Fairway, Stafford, ST16 3TW
(Monday to Sunday)
|
Coton, Doxey and Castletown, Holmcroft, Littleworth, Rowley |
| Staffordshire Moorlands | Biddulph Leisure Centre, Thames Drive, Biddulph, ST8 7HL
(Monday to Sunday)
|
None |
| Tamworth | Tamworth Campus, Croft Street, Tamworth, B79 8AE
(Monday to Friday only) Wilnecote Parish Hall, 40 Watling St, Two Gates, Wilnecote, Tamworth B77 5AD (Saturday and Sunday only)
|
Amington |
There will also be two community testing pop-up sites at various locations supporting the above.
Tests should be booked in advance at Welcome to the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Community Test Sites Appointment System (zipporah.co.uk) People with symptoms or those who have been asked to self-isolate as a close contact of a Covid case should not attend.
