Coronavirus: All council-run rapid testing sites to offer walk-in service and home test kit collections
Shropshire Council is making it easier for people to access symptom-free testing – either in person or at home.
From Tuesday 6 April 2021, all council-run testing sites will offer Lateral Flow Tests as a walk-in service – meaning people can get their speedy test without an appointment.
Rapid home testing kits are also available for collection at these locations.
Council-run symptom-free testing centres are located at:
Theatre Severn, Frankwell Quay, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT
Will now be open Tuesdays–Saturdays, 8am-4pm
The Lantern, Meadow Farm Drive, Harlescott, Shrewsbury, SY1 4NG
Mondays-Fridays –8am-6pm
Saturdays, Sundays – 8am-4pm
Halo, Craven Arms Community Centre, Newington Way, Craven Arms, SY7 9PS
Mondays – 11.30am-7.30pm
Tuesdays – 8am-4pm
Fridays – 8am -4pm
Sundays – 9am-3pm
Stanier Hall, Thomas Adams Sixth Form, Noble Street, Wem, SY4 5DT
Mondays – 11.30am-7.30pm
Wednesdays – 8am-4pm
Thursdays – 8am–4pm
Saturdays – 9am-3pm
Free rapid Lateral Flow Tests are available for people with no COVID-19 symptoms.
We are also encouraging anyone who collects a home testing kit to complete a test on site to gain an understanding of what you need to do.
The Lateral Flow Tests are self-administered, with a simple swab of the throat and the nose. Test results are available within 30 minutes.
Walk-in symptom-free testing is also available at the following locations:
Bridgnorth Community Centre, Severn Street, Low Town, Bridgnorth, WV15 6BB
Raven House, 129 Cheshire Street, Market Drayton, TF9 3AH
The Victoria Centre, Victoria Road, Oswestry SY11 2HT
Opening hours at these walk-in rapid testing sites above are from 8am-5pm Mondays-Fridays.
Several Shropshire pharmacies also offering rapid testing for people who cannot work from home. Tests can be booked online using https://www.1centralhealth.co.uk/shropshirelft
People with symptoms of COVID-19 should NOT go to any of the rapid testing centres. Instead, they should stay at home and book a PCR test online or by calling 119.
Rachel Robinson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, said:-
“Our aim is easier for people to get access rapid testing. Testing is, and will remain, one of the crucial factors in reducing transmission and beating this virus, along with the vaccination programme, as well as us all continuing to follow social distancing guidelines and remembering hands, face, space.
“Lateral Flow Tests only measure if someone is infectious at that point in time. If anyone has a negative test and goes on to develop any symptoms, they must self-isolate immediately and arrange a standard PCR test at one of the county’s four testing sites.
“Anyone who has a positive test must self-isolate immediately and follow the advice given by the local contact tracing team or the NHS Test and Trace service. It is vital that people identify contacts to help stop the spread of the virus.”
Anyone who has had a confirmed positive test result for COVID-19 must not book a symptom-free test until after 90 days from the date of the positive result.
We also recommend that people with other symptoms seek a standard COVID-19 PCR test to help slow the spread of the virus. Any adult who lives or works in the county and has a headache, aches and pains, feeling very tired for no good reason, a sore throat, a runny nose or sneezing episodes can now be tested. Children with upset stomachs or tummy ache can also book a standard COVID-19 test. People in this group should not attend for a Lateral Flow Test.
Book a PCR test online or by calling 119.
Step Up and help us stop the spread of coronavirus:
- Work from home, if you can
- Stick to the Rule of 6 and social distancing when meeting outdoors
- Wash your hands regularly with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
- Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms
- Wear a face covering in indoor settings (food shops, workplaces) where social distancing may be more difficult, and where you may come close to people who are not part of your household or bubble.
- Anyone who has any symptoms should book a test and not leave home for at least 10 days. Those living in households should self-isolate for 10 days if they or any members of the household receive a positive test.
For local advice and support during the pandemic (especially if you are self-isolating), call Shropshire Council’s COVID-19 Helpline on 0345 678 9028 (lines open throughout the week 9am-5pm, and on the weekend on Saturdays from 9am-4pm and Sundays 9am-12pm) or visit our website at www.shropshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.