Drop-in centre for PCR self-swabs opens at East Arm
A DROP-IN test centre has now opened on the East Arm for islanders who have tested positive on a lateral flow test.
Self-swab PCR testing will be available for anyone over the age of 12 from 9-10.45am until Friday 3 December.
All of those visiting the centre must be in a car and will not be tested if they arrive by foot or bicycle. Anyone without access to a car is welcome to attend in a taxi.
Some 40 people attended the drop-in for a test on the first morning.
Director of the Covid Response Team Richard Evans said numbers were ‘about what we were expecting, but we’ll take as many people that pitch up and we’re hoping it gives some relief to the scheduling team and the testers'.
‘We’re a bit limited on times from a staffing perspective because the team also do the harbour and airport testing. We did it at this time because the Clipper comes in the afternoon,’ said Mr Evans.
He added that the centre may become a more permanent fixture if Covid-19 cases continued to rise.
There were 248 new cases identified over the weekend.
It is currently taking anywhere between one and three days to get an appointment booked at the hospital for PCR testing, but with eight members of staff manning the new centre is hoped to have an impact on test result waiting times across the island.
n Anyone planning to attend the drop-in centre must complete the online Local Testing booking form, which can be found at https://localtesting.gov.gg/.
