Penrith is the nearest to Keswick of four COVID-19 testing centres now available for essential workers in Cumbria.
The facility has been set up at Penrith Rugby Club, with the other three at Kendal (Westmorland General Hospital), Preston and Gateshead.
All can be accessed by anyone who is an essential worker. They include all NHS and social care staff and those providing essential public services like transport, education and childcare along with the production and distribution of food, drink and essential goods.
A further four sites at Barrow, Carlisle, Lancaster and Whitehaven are testing health and social care staff only. This includes the independent and voluntary sectors.
Assistant Chief Constable Andrew Slattery, chairman of Cumbria’s Strategic Co-ordination Group, said: “We now have a mix of nationally and locally-led testing facilities in place that means Cumbria has good capacity to test and I would encourage those who are eligible to get tested wherever possible.
“We recognise that there are a range of different to access testing and this could seem daunting but people can either book their own test via the government website or speak to their employer and ask them to book a test on their behalf at one of the other local facilities. All the information people need is on the website.”
To be eligible for testing, people must either be currently self-isolating for five days or less due to suspected COVID-19 infection, or be a member of an essential worker’s household who has suspected COVID-19 infection and has been self-isolating for five days or less, which has resulted in the member of staff self-isolating as well.
Testing is most effective in the first three days of COVID-19 symptoms appearing and is considered effective up until day five. No testing should be undertaken after day five, unless for a specific reason.
People will not be tested without an appointment. They can make their own bookings for Penrith, Kendal, Preston and Gateshead via the national Government website . To access the Barrow, Carlisle, Lancaster and Whitehaven sites, health and social care staff must be referred for testing by their employer.
Full details of how to access all testing available to people across the whole of Cumbria can be found at https://www.northcumbriaccg.nhs.uk/covidtesting
Those tested will receive their results by text within a few days.
In addition to these testing sites, there is also a range of other testing activity underway. This includes locally agreed arrangements to test residents of Cumbrian residential or nursing homes that have been developed between Public Health England, Cumbria’s Director of Public Health and the local health and care system. NHS trust staff are able to access testing through their own organisation.
