The Department of Health and Social Care will be closing all Covid-19 test centres nationally on Wednesday 30 March 2022 as part of the government’s Living with Covid strategy.
In Rotherham this means that the test sites located at Midland Road, Maltby Leisure Centre, and Dinnington Constable Lane car park will stop offering PCR tests on this day to members of the public. The testing facilities will be removed from the sites over the next few months as part of the DHSC decommissioning process.
A small number of at-risk residents with symptoms of Covid-19 will still be able to access PCR testing by ordering home test kits by going online to www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. The Government will outline which groups will be able to access symptomatic testing shortly.
Home test kits are delivered straight to people’s doors by a courier and can be easily returned by posting them in a number of priority post boxes available across the borough. Each test kit comes with instructions on how to take the test and how to register the test. Residents will still be able to call 119 if they need any advice or have questions about taking their test.
Rotherham’s Director of Public Health, Ben Anderson, said: “As part of the Government’s plan of living with Covid, test sites across the country are being stood down, with plans in place to mobilise them again if there are further outbreaks of the virus. Test availability for the general public will reduce after this time, and it will be important that people with Covid-19 symptoms continue to isolate while they have symptoms, however mild they are, to protect those who remain vulnerable to poor outcomes from Covid-19.
“Tests will remain available for at-risk groups who need them so please continue to use the test centres until Wednesday 30 March, or use the home test kit service and get test kits delivered right to your door.”
Lateral flow tests for people without symptoms will continue to be available for free until Friday 1 April 2022. There are many collection points across Rotherham including Rotherham libraries, leisure centres, and local pharmacies. Lateral flow test kits can also be ordered online or by calling 119.
After this date they will continue to be available at low cost from pharmacies and other retailers.
Further information and the latest advice about testing for Covid-19 can be found on the GOV.UK website.