Health officials make more Covid-19 tests available in Northampton until Friday as lockdown fear remains

"The virus is not going away any time soon — it is essential if you have coronavirus symptoms, you book a test"
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Extra Covid-19 testing will be available in Northampton until the end of this week as health chiefs remain concerned over a spike in new cases in the town.

The facility at St Andrew’s Health Centre car park will be in place until Friday for locals to get a drive-through or walk-in test closer to where they live. Appointments can be made HERE.

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A walk-in test site will return to Northampton's Market Square later in the week while a second mobile unit is available by appointment only in Daventry until Thursday.

Anyone who believes they have coronavirus symptons — a new, continuous cough; high temperature; loss of or change in sense of smell or taste — is urged to get tested urgently to avoid risking of passing on the virus. More guidance can be found HERE.

Public Health England reported eight new positive tests in Northampton in 24 hours up to 9am on Monday morning as extra testing was made available over the weekend. A further four new cases were reported in Kettering and one in Wellingborough.

PHE last week identified the town as an "area of concern" over rising infection rates prompting local health officials to issue new guidance urging Northampton residents to be vigilant, work from home where they can, limit contact with others outside their own household — especially indoors — and avoid public transport and car sharing or risk a local lockdown similar to the one in Leicester.

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Northamptonshire's Director of Public Health Lucy Wightman said: “A local lockdown which could mean non-essential shops and businesses are closed and tight restrictions on travel and who people are able to meet with.

A Covid-19 testing unit will remain in Northampton with another deployed in DaventryA Covid-19 testing unit will remain in Northampton with another deployed in Daventry
A Covid-19 testing unit will remain in Northampton with another deployed in Daventry

"No one wants to see those measures re-introduced. The virus is not going away any time soon and we have to take this advice seriously.

“It is also essential that if you experience symptoms of coronavirus, you book a test."

HERE'S THE ADVICE YOU NEED TO FOLLOW IN AND AROUND NORTHAMPTONLocal health officials, point to Northampton's infection rate which now stands at 552.5 per 100,000 of the population since the pandemic started in March — up from 533 less than a week ago.

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That compares to 481 across the whole of the East Midlands — which includes Leicester, where the rate is 1,359 per 100,000 of the population.

For tests to be effective you must have symptoms. Those who test positive for Covid-19 will be helped by the NHS test and trace service to identify people they have recently been in contact with so they can be alerted.

Anyone who has had close recent contact with someone with coronavirus must then self-isolate for 14 days, to help contain the spread of infection.

Covid-19 is known to have claimed the lives of 525 people in Northamptonshire's two main NHS hospitals — no further victims were revealed yesterday — while another 133 deaths in county care homes had been linked to the bug up to July 17.