Advice for covid testing in Hampshire
County council encourages regular testing with sites in Basingstoke and Andover
Hampshire County Council is reminding people that regular at home coronavirus testing is available for free, for all households with primary, secondary and college age children and young people. This includes households in associated childcare and support bubbles, and those with school staff and adults working in the wider school community, such as supply teachers, school bus drivers, and after school club leaders.
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Roz Chadd, said:
“Seeing everyone return to the classroom this week is an important step on the journey towards a cautious easing of lockdown restrictions and hopefully, a steady return to a more normal way of life. We know that around one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others, which is why it’s crucial we support regular COVID-19 testing for individuals without symptoms, to help keep our educational settings, staff and families safe. This ensures we can detect positive cases within households quickly, break chains of infection, and prevent the virus from spreading. I urge anyone who is eligible to take part in this free, voluntary scheme, to help keep themselves and others safe and well.”
Who can use home test kits
This voluntary testing is for people who are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (asymptomatic), and is being offered in line with Government’s roadmap out of national restrictions.
Schools are providing self-test kits to staff at primary and secondary schools and colleges, as well as to pupils at secondary schools and college students. Primary school pupils are not being asked to test at this time, but members of their households are invited to take part in home testing, including those in their childcare and support bubbles.
The following groups can collect free asymptomatic test kits for use at home twice each week:
Households with primary school, secondary school and college age children, including those in their childcare and support bubbles
Households, childcare and support bubbles of primary, secondary and college staff.
Adults working in the wider school community, including supply teachers, bus drivers and after school club leaders.
If an eligible person is unable to collect test kits to do at home, they can book an asymptomatic test at a Community Testing Site or order a home test kit online.
This asymptomatic testing scheme is expected to expand to include more groups, and further information will be shared by Government in due course.
Where to collect home test kits
Test kits are available to collect from the regional testing centre (RTC) at Southampton airport or one of the walk-through Local Testing Sites (LTS) in Hampshire, listed below.
Basingstoke: The Anvil, Churchill Way E – open 1.30pm to 7pm
Fareham: Cams Alders car park – open 1pm to 8pm
Gosport: Walpole Park car park – open 1pm to 8pm
Havant: Havant Civic Centre car park – open 1pm to 8pm
Winchester: Worthy Lane car park – open 1.30pm to 7pm
Andover: Shepherds Spring Lane car park – open 1.30pm to 7pm
Ringwood: The Furlong car park – open 1pm to 8pm
Kits can be collected in the afternoon only and no appointment is required. The Regional and Local Testing Sites are open in the morning for appointment-only testing on site for those with COVID-19 symptoms. Following a deep clean, they will re-open in the afternoon for people without symptoms to collect the test-at-home kits.
Sites are open daily – check online for the latest information about sites and opening times before visiting: https://find-covid-19-rapid-test-sites.maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/findatestcenter.html
Anyone aged 18 or over can collect two packs of seven lateral flow device kits (a total of 14 individual tests) per visit.
Each kit comes with full instructions for use and explains what to do if your test result is positive, negative or void, and how to register your result with NHS Test and Trace.
If you are unable to go to one of the above testing sites to collect test kits, or cannot attend an appointment at a Community Testing Site, you can order a home test kit online. To free up home delivery for those who need it most, please do not order online if you can access an asymptomatic test through other methods, for example through a workplace scheme.
Anyone testing positive at home will need to isolate and book a follow-up PCR test as soon as possible: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
Home test kits are not available to collect from the 11 Community Testing Sites for people without symptoms of coronavirus – these sites are for pre-booked tests that take place on site.
Testing for anyone with COVID-19 symptoms
The home testing scheme should not be used by anyone who is experiencing any of the symptoms of coronavirus. Any adult or child of any age with symptoms must follow self-isolation guidance and book a PCR test https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
For more information visit https://www.hants.gov.uk/socialcareandhealth/coronavirus/test-and-trace/home-test-kit