Coronavirus testing centre opens in Edinburgh's Usher Hall
The famous venue is now open for appointments
Last updated 25th Sep 2020
A walk-in Covid-19 testing centre has been set up at Edinburgh's Usher Hall.
The facility is designed for people who're unable to use a drive-through centre to book appointments in advance.
The re-purposing of the famous music venue comes after 120 students at Edinburgh Napier University tested positive for the illness, the latest outbreak at a Scottish campus.
Facilities management firm Mitie will run the centre at the concert hall.
Scotland Office minister Iain Stewart said: "The UK Government is committed to helping all parts of the UK fight coronavirus.
"We are providing the bulk of Covid testing in Scotland, and this new walk-through centre in Edinburgh comes on top of nine other testing sites across Scotland funded by the UK Government, as well as the Glasgow Lighthouse lab.
"Testing will play a vital part over the coming months, helping to manage local outbreaks and protect livelihoods.
"This walk-through centre will help people in Edinburgh have easy access to a test in the city centre.
"We are pleased to be working with commercial partners and with Edinburgh's iconic Usher Hall.
"These sites are not possible without the hard work of many people and I would like to thank everyone involved for their incredible efforts.''
Scottish Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: "Containing and suppressing COVID-19 relies on testing being accessible to everyone.
"This walk through testing centre in Edinburgh builds on the sites already in place in St Andrews, Glasgow and Aberdeen and will further increase testing capacity ahead of potential spikes as we move into winter.
“Sites like this one can be operational in a matter of days, and we are working at pace with the UK Government, NHS National Services Scotland and local authorities to roll out more across the country so that more people have access to local testing.
“We will continue to adapt our testing strategy in line with the different stages of the pandemic.
"However, testing is only one effective intervention that we are using to manage the virus and it remains vital that people continue to follow physical distancing advice and practise good hand and cough hygiene not just for their own safety but in order to protect others.”
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