Wellingborough's rapid Covid test centre set to open...once they fix the heating!

Outbreaks in care homes and pre-school blamed for rise in borough case rates
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Plans for a rapid testing centre in Wellingborough for those with no Covid-19 symptoms have been delayed by a dodgy boiler.

Coronavirus weekly case rates rose by nearly a quarter in the borough, from 192 per 100,000 people on February 13 to to 234.6 by February 17.

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The increase has been put down to a number of outbreaks in care homes and one in a pre-school settings.

Health chiefs confirmed a new site offering lateral flow device tests was due to be up and running last week — but plans had to be put on hold because of a heating problem.

Public Health director Lucy Wightman said: "We hoped that a new site at Redwell Leisure Centre would go live this week but sadly we have had an issue with heating.

"The large buildings we're having to use have not been using their heating because they've not been open for some time.

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"Sadly we have had a delay with the heating but we hope to have that up and running early this week."

Health chiefs expect a new lateral flow device testing centre to open in Wellingborough this weekHealth chiefs expect a new lateral flow device testing centre to open in Wellingborough this week
Health chiefs expect a new lateral flow device testing centre to open in Wellingborough this week

Lateral flow device tests are used to identify the one in three people who may be infectious without knowing it — but still need to leave home for work.

They deliver results in around 30 minutes for people with no symptoms.

Four such sites are already up and running in Northampton, Corby and Brackley.

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Testing slots must be booked online HEREwith priority given to those essential workers in health or social care, transportation, education or childcare, essential shop, supermarkets or financial services, food production or processing, warehousing, packing or distribution, public sector workers including waste, bin collections, security, construction, utilities or communications and agency workers.

Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms needs to book a PCN test at one of Northamptonshire's permanent or mobile units by calling 119 or online HERE.