New testing sites to help Middlesbrough fight Covid-19

Details of four new Covid-19 testing sites have been confirmed for Middlesbrough.

After a trial period the facility at Cannon Park is now officially the Regional Testing Site. The centre is open from 8am-8pm seven days a week.

As a result, tests are no longer taking place at the disused Sainsbury's site in Middlehaven.

From Friday October 16, a Local Testing Site will open in the Teesside University Printworks building car park, off Woodlands Road. The ‘walk-in' site will allow people who have booked tests to arrive on foot and is available for students and residents from 8am-8pm seven days a week.

And after the relocation of the Regional Testing Site to Cannon Park, Middlesbrough Council has worked with the Department of Health and Social Care to redeploy the Mobile Testing Unit.

During the week commencing October 19, the unit will be in Hemlington in the Viewley Centre car park, next to the All Nations Church on Monday and Tuesday.

Then on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, the mobile site will be at Thorntree Community Hub.

It's hoped the mobile site arrangements will remain consistent and regular updates will be provided.

The locations have been chosen to ensure a geographical spread across the town.

Joint Director of Public Health Mark Adams said:

"Access to testing is vital in our efforts to stop the spread of the virus.

"We now have two long-term testing sites in the town centre with good availability for students and residents from across Middlesbrough and beyond.

"Our aim with the mobile units is to ensure people in as many parts of town as possible can access a test close to home.

"It's important that people with symptoms of the virus stay at home and only leave to be tested. They should go directly to the test site before continuing to isolate until they receive instructions from Test and Trace."

Free tests at all sites must be booked online or by calling 119.