Free Covid test kits available at pick-up points next week in Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Tain and Muir of Ord as Ross-shire urged to play part in joint Highland Council and NHS Highland initiative to curb further spread
COVID test kits are being made available free of charge to the public at pop-up collection points across the Highlands – including Dingwall, Alness, Invergordon, Tain and Muir of Ord.
Packs laterfal flow device (LFD) tests will be distributed from several Highland locations from Monday, January 31through to Friday, February 4.
It comes at a time when many workplaces will again be welcoming back staff following the latest easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Highland Council and NHS Highland are working in partnership to increase availability of LFD tests.
Free packs will be made available to the public in several outdoor locations across the Highland region, to be taken away and used at home. Staff will be present to give guidance on how to take the test. The deployment is not due to any particular outbreak in these areas.
Packs of LFD tests for anyone without symptoms will be available to collect at the following locations:
Monday 31 January
Nairn Falconers Lane Car Park 8:30am-12:30pm
Inverness High Street (Market Brae Steps) 1pm-4pm
Tuesday 1 February
Alness High Street (Bank Lane) 9am-noon
Invergordon High Street (Library) 1pm-4pm
Tain High Street (Highland Council Service Point) 9am-noon
Dornoch Cathedral Square 1pm-4pm
Golspie Fountain Road Car Park 9am-12noon
Brora Gower Lane Car Park 1pm-4pm
Wednesday 2 February
Dingwall High Street (Museum) 8:30am-noon
Muir of Ord Library Car Park 1pm-4pm
Nairn Falconers Lane Car Park 8am-12:30pm, 1pm-4:30pm
Thurso Rotterdam Street 10:30am-12:30pm, 1pm-3pm
Thursday 3 February
Inverness Retail Park 8:30am-12noon
Inshes Retail Park 1pm-4pm
Inverness High Street (Market Brae Steps) 8:30am-12:30pm, 1pm-4pm
Friday 4 February
Invergordon High Street (Library) 9am-noon
Alness High Street (Bank Lane) 1pm-3:30pm
Dornoch Cathedral Square 9am-12noon
Tain High Street (Highland Council Service Point) 1pm-3:30pm
Brora Gower Lane Car Park 9am-12noon
Golspie Fountain Road Car Park 1pm-3:30pm
Highland Council said: "LFD tests are easy to administer. By taking one regularly, we can help our community, families and friends stay safe and slow down the spread of coronavirus. Tracking down cases of the virus earlier will limit the spread of new variants.
"It’s very important that you report your LFD test result so your contacts can be traced. This helps to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community. To report your result, visit covidtest.scot.
"If you receive a positive LFD test result, you must report your result and self-isolate immediately."
Free LFD tests for people without Covid-19 symptoms are also available to collect from pharmacies, and can be sent to your home by visiting nhsinform.scot/testing, or by calling 119.
LFD tests are already provided in some workplaces, including schools. If you do already get tested through your workplace or education setting you should continue to use those routes.
Convener of Highland Council, Bill Lobban said: “In Highland, cases of Covid-19 are high. This makes it more important than ever to use LFD tests regularly to make sure we don’t have the virus asymptomatically and to reassure us that we’re keeping each other safe.”
Dr Tim Allison, director of public health with NHS Highland, said: “There is still a high level of Covid-19 within the Highlands and minimising spread remains vitally important. When dealing with a disease that can be asymptomatic, such as Covid-19, it is necessary to diagnose cases as early as possible to prevent more people becoming infected without realising. The regular taking of LFD tests in our community helps the NHS to find asymptomatic cases and stop the virus spreading.”
The Highland Council and NHS Highland’s Community Testing Programme offers rapid Covid-19 tests for people without symptoms, through the use of mobile testing sites and outreach events. If you do have symptoms, you should not visit a mobile testing site. Instead, you should self-isolate immediately and seek a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Symptoms include new continuous cough, fever, or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste.
PCR tests for people with Covid-19 symptoms can also be arranged by visiting nhsinform.scot/testing or by calling 119.
