Parents in Gedling borough urged to have twice-weekly Covid tests as schools prepare to bring back pupils

Parents across Gedling borough are being encouraged by health bosses to get tested for Covid twice a week to coincide with schools welcoming their pupils back into classrooms.

Covid-19 rapid lateral flow tests are now available for anyone who is over the age of 18 and lives in the same home as a primary school, secondary school or college-age student.

Arrangements are already in place for the testing of secondary school pupils and primary and secondary school staff who will also receive regular testing through schools.

People can order home testing kits online at https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or by calling 119 and are asked to take a test twice a week.

Some employers will also offer regular testing kits and you can also go to the asymptomatic testing site at Carlton Forum – you don’t need to book, just turn up.

The tests are described as easy to use and give results in 30 minutes.

Those who test positive must immediately self-isolate to avoid passing the virus on to others.Rapid testing aims to test as many people as possible to help stop the spread of infections – especially as places, such as schools, start to reopen to more pupils.

Jonathan Gribbin, director of Public Health for Nottinghamshire said: “As we know around one-third of people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms but can still pass it on. Testing people without symptoms can help identify cases quickly and help break the chain of transmission. 

“Rapid testing is an important measure put in place to enable us to live safely in the year ahead. Each positive case identified can help prevent many additional people from becoming infected over time. Many parents will have received a letter from their school asking them to access regular testing and I encourage people to come forward for regular testing and to make it a part of daily life.”