Essential shopworkers in Milton Keynes are invited to receive rapid COVID-19 tests from Monday onwards (7/2).
Around one in three people who are infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms and could be spreading the disease without knowing it.
And so Milton Keynes Council has launched this rapid testing service for public-facing workers who may unknowingly have COVID-19. This means positive cases can be discovered more quickly, thus helping to break chains of transmission and protect vulnerable people.
The pilot had initially been restricted to local workers from within the police, fire services and frontline council staff including those in social care and waste collection. It was opened last week to transport workers, including taxi drivers.
The facility, based at Milton Keynes’ Central Library, can comfortably test several hundred people every day. More than 3,000 tests have been taken to date, with a number of positive cases found.
Shopworkers do not need to make a booking in advance; they can just turn up during test centre opening hours. The Council has now extended its hours to suit those who work during the day.
The opening hours are as follows:
Monday 09:30 to 16:30, Tuesday 09:30 to 19:00, Wednesday 09:30 to 16:30, Thursday 09:30 to 19:00, Friday 09:30 to 16:30.
If demand is high, the council may ask people to return another time to avoid queues. But generally, afternoons tend to be quieter.
As well as bringing ID that identifies them as a supermarket employee, people seeking a rapid test should bring a smartphone if they can, on which they’ll need to register and be sent their results. Help is on hand for those who might need it. The test itself is administered very quickly with results usually texted within 45 minutes.
People with any COVID-19 symptoms (a high temperature, a new, continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste) should not attend and instead should isolate and book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.
