More local community testing facilities will be available in north Dorset from Monday 29 March for all eligible residents, Public Health Dorset has announced.

This includes a mobile testing unit visiting Gillingham each Monday and Thursday morning.

The Dorset Rapid Community Testing Programme is now open to residents who: 

• go out to work under current government guidelines

• work from home but are within a school household, for example as a parent, partner or sibling of a pupil, student or member of school staff 

• work from home but are within a school support bubble, for example as an extended family member or childminder

• work within the wider school community, for example as a school club worker or other school related occupation.

 A mobile community testing unit will visit these locations twice a week:

• Gillingham Monday and Thursday mornings 8am – 11.30am

• Shaftesbury Monday and Thursday afternoons 1pm – 4.45pm

• Blandford Tuesday and Friday mornings 8am – 11.30am

• Sturminster Newton Tuesday and Friday afternoons 1pm-4.45pm

Residents can book up to two Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests a week (in line with Government guidelines) until the end of June via www.publichealthdorset.org.uk/your-health/protecting-your-health/community-testing.aspx

Around one in three people who are infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms so could be spreading the virus without knowing it. This is known as being asymptomatic. As lockdown eases LFD testing provides reassurance and will help to keep our local communities safer.

Rachel Partridge, Assistant Director of Public Health Dorset, said: ‘We have listened to concerns of north Dorset residents and are pleased to say that we have been able to provide more testing facilities in the north Dorset area to make testing more accessible for those who have not got COVID-19 symptoms.

‘Having provided this new local capability, it is vital that residents take up the offer of testing so we can continue to provide it until the end of June.’

Public Health Dorset says is important that people going to one of Dorset’s community testing sites for their LFD tests are well. If at any point someone develops COVID-19 symptoms, they must self-isolate and book a COVID-19 PCR test via the national portal www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119.

For more information about the Dorset Rapid Community Testing Programme visit: www.publichealthdorset.org.uk/your-health/protecting-your-health/community-testing.aspx