Thousands of new booking sites for coronavirus home test kits have been made available by the UK government.
On Friday (June 19), the Department of Health and Social Care took to social media to encourage people to Book if they are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms.
@DHSCgovuk tweeted: “We have just released thousands of new bookings for home testing kits.
“There is also the option of booking a test for today at our network of regional test locations
“Anyone with symptoms can book online now.”
This comes as the UK’s Covid-19 alert level has been downgraded from level 4 to level 3, meaning transmission is not “high or exponentially rising” but the virus is still in “general circulation”.
“It is important that you continue to wash your hands and keep a safe distance from others,” the department said.
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How can I test myself?
For now, essential workers are still prioritized for testing, but anyone with symptoms can either order a home test kit or book a walk-in or drive-through testing location.
Mobile testing units, satellite centers and NHS facilities are also in place to carry out tests, but they are intended for use in hospitals, care homes, police stations and prisons.
Walkthrough and walkthrough tests
If you test at a walk-through or drive-through center, you may not take public transportation to get there.
For a walkthrough of the test site, you must arrive on foot or by bicycle.
But for a drive-thru test site, you have to drive there yourself or have someone you live with drive you.
The Department of Health and Social Care has set up 50 regional testing sites across the UK.
London-based testing sites are located in Chessington, Gatwick, Greenwich, NHS Nightingale London, Stansted, Twickenham and Wembley.
Nearby test centers also include Guildford in Surrey.
People who are very unwell or at high risk should not visit a drive-through test center, but order a home test kit instead.
How does home testing work?
The home test is free.
It is an antigen test and shows whether you currently have Covid-19. But it won’t tell you if you’ve had the coronavirus before.
Using a long cotton swab, the test usually involves taking a swab from the back of the throat or inside the nose.
It is good to order the test within the first three days of symptoms, as it may take a couple of days to arrive.
The test kit may only be ordered if you have had symptoms for a maximum of five days.
You can also order a test for someone you live with who has symptoms, but if they are over 13 you should check they are happy for you to do this.
While waiting for your results, everyone you live with must self-isolate.
If your test result is negative, it means that you no longer need to self-isolate, as long as you are well, you have not had a high temperature for 48 hours and everyone in your home who has symptoms also tests negative.
Those who test negative and cannot work from home can return to work after checking with their employer.
If you or someone you live with tests positive, you must continue to self-isolate.
A courier collects your used test kit to take to a lab for processing. You should book your collection no later than 19.00 at least one day before you take the test.
You should take the test the same day it is collected.
If your condition gets worse, or if you do not get better after seven days, you should use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service.
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