East Surrey residents are now able to access free, rapid lateral flow tests for themselves and their families to use twice a week, with results in under 30 minutes.
Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not experience any symptoms and may be spreading the virus unwittingly.
So, alongside the vaccination programme, regular testing is an essential part of the easing of restrictions, helping to identify variants and stopping individual cases from becoming outbreaks.
Lateral flow tests will be delivered through:
- an online service at nhs.uk/get-tested, which allows people to order lateral flow tests to their home
- workplace testing programmes, on-site or at home
- community testing, offered by all local authorities
- collection at a local polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test site during specific test collection time windows
- testing on-site at schools and colleges
- collection from participating pharmacies
However, it's still the case that anyone with symptoms of Covid-19 – a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – should book a PCR test online or by calling 119.
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