The Milton Keynes coronavirus testing centre appeared virtually empty this morning, despite residents reporting that they are struggling to book an appointment.
MKFM has been contacted by a number of concerned residents in the past week saying they have been unable to book a test at the Milton Keynes site.
Some reported being told to travel as far away as Telford in the West Midlands for a test, whilst others have been presented with a screen telling them that no tests are currently available near their location.
But, in stark contrast to the huge queues seen when the testing centre first opened earlier this year, the testing centre in Milton Keynes appeared to be very quiet this morning.
Our reporter attended the site earlier today and saw just one car enter and one car leave in a ten minute period.
They returned later in the morning to find the situation had not changed with the site remaining very quiet.
It appears to be part of a similar picture across the country - with reports that a Mum was turned away from an 'empty' test site in Manchester last week and a test centre in Leicester also being reported as being empty last week.
Speaking to other local media earlier today, a Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “NHS Test and Trace is working and our capacity is the highest it has ever been but we are seeing a significant demand for tests including from people who do not have symptoms and are not otherwise eligible."
“The booking system is working and new booking slots and home testing kits are made available daily for those who need them. We are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, and prioritising at-risk groups.”
“Our laboratories are processing more than a million tests a week and we recently announced new facilities and technology to process results even faster. If you do not have symptoms and are not eligible to get a test you can continue to protect yourself if you wash your hands, wear a face covering and follow social distancing rules.”
The news comes as a Milton Keynes secondary school have confirmed that one student had tested positive for COVID-19, and the school was forced to close temporarily. It will re-open again tomorrow to selected year groups.
Check out our gallery from the Milton Keynes coronavirus test centre here:
