Unpaid carers in Mansfield are urged to take rapid turnaround Covid-19 test

People who provide childcare bubbles and those whose support bubbles include vulnerable people are also being advised to get regularly tested.

Infection rates in Mansfield remain above the national average and in the top 25% of local authority areas.

Since rapid result centres opened in January in Nottinghamshire, more than 5,900 tests have been carried out on people without coronavirus symptoms.

Of this figure, 55 people have tested positive - seven at Oak Tree Leisure Centre out of 1158 tests and 20 at Mansfield Town Football Club, out of 1,822 tests.Mansfield District Council, which is running the centres in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care, is now asking adults in child care bubbles and those have vulnerable people in their support bubbles, or who are unpaid carers, to go along and get tested at least once a week.

The opening hours for the rapid community test centres in Mansfield are:

Oak Tree Leisure Centre: Tuesdays to Saturdays from 7am to 3pm.

One Call Stadium: Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am to 7pm and Sundays from 10am to 2pm.

There is free parking at both sites.

Councillor Marion Bradshaw, portfolio holder for safer communities, housing and wellbeing, said: "The numbers of people making use of the centres has been really encouraging in Mansfield."We now want to reach the army of unpaid people who care for elderly parents or that vulnerable friend or neighbour.

"This is especially important as infection rates in Mansfield remain among the highest in the country.”

No appointments are needed and results of the rapid turnaround tests can be texted to a mobile phone within 30 to 40 minutes.There is a Local Testing Site for people who have symptoms of Covid-19, which is open seven days a week from 8am to 8pm at: Mansfield Civic Centre, Chesterfield Road South, NG19 7BH. An appointment must be booked before attending this site for a test.

For more information about testing, visit www.mansfield.gov.uk/coronavirus/communitytesting.

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