FREE lateral flow Covid tests can still be picked up from various places in Herefordshire before the Government ditches kits in April.

Herefordshire Council is offering tests on site in some locations to help carry out regular testing whenever and wherever people need it.

“The testing programme for Covid-19 is helping keep us all safe by identifying those who are infected,” said a spokesperson.

“Around one in three people who are infected with Covid-19 have no symptoms.”

RELATED NEWS:

Latest data from the Government shows the infection rate for Herefordshire, the number of cases per 100,000 people, stood at 727.7 on March 13 – more than a third higher than the week before.

Free universal symptomatic and asymptomatic testing will end for the public in England from April 1.

But data from the FFT Education Datalab’s attendance tracker showed a rise in pupil absence in primary and secondary schools last week compared with the week before.

OTHER NEWS:

Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “Testing is one of the few tools we still have to reduce transmission among students and staff and the Government must reverse its decision and continue to provide free tests to people working or studying in education settings beyond the end of March and for the foreseeable future.”

Where to get lateral flows in Herefordshire this week

In Herefordshire, lateral flow tests, designed for people without coronavirus symptoms, can be picked up from points across Herefordshire over the next seven days.

Where the Herefordshire Council teams will be:

Tuesday, March 22

Wednesday, March 23

Thursday, March 24

Friday, March 25

Saturday, March 26

The locations and times may be subject to last-minute changes and teams will be there for as long as stocks last.

Tests can also be ordered online here, or picked up at pharmacies in Herefordshire. 

If you are picking up a kit from a pharmacy, you now need to get a collection code here.