Changes made to community testing sites in Dorset
Fewer people are turning up
Fewer people are turning up at testing centres in Dorset since the introduction of home testing kits.
Dorset Council say they are now going to make some changes.
Some sites will no longer operate every day but new pop up facilities are coming to parts of Dorset that have not had them before.
The changes to the asymptomatic testing sites in Dorset Council area are:
From Monday 17 May, Wimborne Town Football Club site will no longer be available every day. There will be a mobile pop up (van) in the football club's car park on a Monday and Thursday for anyone wanting to have an assisted test or pick up LFD home test kits
From Monday 7 June, the Swanage and Wareham Rugby club site will no longer be available every day. There will be a pop up in the rugby club's car park two half days a week on Tuesday and Friday afternoons from Tuesday 8 June
The Co-op car park in Swanage, an area previously not covered will be visited by a pop up two half days a week on Tuesday and Friday mornings from Tuesday 18 May
From Monday 7 June, the Sherborne Rugby Club site will no longer be available every day. There will be a pop up in the rugby club's car park two half days a week on Wednesday mornings and Saturday afternoons from Wednesday 9 June
The village hall car park in Cerne Abbas, an area previously not covered will be visited by a pop up two half days a week on Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning from Wednesday 19 May. This offers new testing provision in mid Dorset and a collection point where there are no pharmacies or supermarkets for collecting home test kits
The Square in Beaminster, an area previously not covered will be visited by a pop up two half days a week on Wednesday and Saturday mornings from Wednesday 19 May.
Charmouth Road Car Park in Lyme Regis, an area previously not covered will be visited by a pop up two half days a week on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons from Wednesday 19 May.
Weymouth Park and Ride site will remain open but the number of testing bays will reduce to four.
All locations apart from mid Dorset also have local pharmacies which offer collection of free LFD home test kits.
Cllr Laura Miller, Dorset Council's Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: "It's great to see more coverage of asymptomatic testing in the county for those residents who show no symptoms of COVID-19. I would really urge people to keep testing regularly.
"It's great so many people are being vaccinated but the vaccine alone will not stop the spread of COVID-19. We need to keep following all government measures.
"We will continue to work closely with our local and national partners to provide community testing where needed."