Symptom Free testing now available in Wirral to help stop the spread of Covid-19 this winter .
You don ’ t need to book but you will need a mobile number or email address to register when you arrive . If you do not have a mobile number or email address you will be asked to call 119 to get your results .
If you do need a little help , friendly staff are on hand to talk you through the process and offer support . And please don ’ t forget your specs if you wear them to help with the registration process .
Councillor Janette Williamson , Leader of Wirral Council said : “ Wirral has done so well to reduce the spread of COVID-19 over the last few months and no-one wants to see our numbers creep back up again over Christmas and into the New Year . By being able to offer large-scale symptom-free testing to our entire population we will hopefully be able to keep the rate of infection down , prevent more people from becoming unwell , protect our most vulnerable and stop our health services from being overwhelmed .
“ This is a great opportunity for us all to fight back against this virus and stop its spread in the community , I would urge anyone who does not have symptoms to get a test .” Testing will be available to anyone who lives or works in Wirral who does not have Covid-19 symptoms .
Director of Public Health for Wirral Julie Webster said : “ While it will help pave the way toward a return to normality , community testing will only be effective if we continue to wear a face covering , regularly wash our hands and keep a safe distance from others . We have learned a lot from Liverpool and would particularly like to see people who work in retail , hospitality , education and the trades taking this opportunity to have a test . The more bus drivers , hairdressers , beauty therapists and all those who make up the non-clinical frontline get involved the better our chances will be to keep Wirral well .”
Since opening on Monday 7th December around two thousand people without any symptoms have been tested each day , which has found a number of positive cases every day . That means the chain of transmission has been broken for people who did not know they had Covid-19 and may well have gone on to infect others without realising it . If you have symptoms of COVID-19 , you must self-isolate and get a test at one of the special test centres for people with symptoms via www . wirral . gov . uk / test .
If you visit a symptom-free testing centre and test positive you must self-isolate . Guidance and support to do so is available online at www . wirral . gov . uk / covidpayment or by calling Wirral Council ’ s Coronavirus Helpline on 0151 666 5050 .
Testing is available at four testing centres :
The Floral Pavilion , New Brighton Open 7 days a week 10.30am to 7pm ( last test at 6:30pm )
Greasby Library Open 7 days a week 10.30am to 7pm ( last test at 6:30pm )
Eastham Library Open 7 days a week 10.30am to 7pm ( last test at 6:30pm )
Birkenhead Market Open 6 days Mon – Sat 9.30am to 5pm ( last test at 4:30pm )
To help show what to expect at one of the four No Symptoms Test Centres , Warren Ward , Director at Wirral Chamber and Community Action Wirral , visited the Floral Pavilion for a test .
Visitors are welcomed at the reception desk where the process is explained . Staff on hand to help you if needed .
Visitors will be shown to their booth . Someone will be on hand to show you how to do the test and answer questions .
Instructions on how to swab your throat and nostril are displayed in the booth . A handy mirror is also provided .
Just pass the swab through the hatch with the unique bar code sticker and the centre staff will collect it .
In and out in ten minutes . See you next week for another test !
That ’ s it and results are texted or emailed within the hour and often a lot sooner .