Free Covid-19 testing continues for those without symptoms

Over the weekend, testing facilities will be at fire stations in Hawick (April 2-5) and Jedburgh (April 4-6) before moving to Kelso (April 6-8), Eyemouth (April 7-9), Coldstream (April 9-10), Lauder (April 10-11) and Duns (April 11-13).

These sites provide rapid Covid-19 testing for people who are well and without any Covid-19 symptoms between 10.30am and 3pm. You can book your test ahead of time by calling 01896 826370 or emailing [email protected]

These sites are only for people without symptoms. Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms should book a test in the usual way via the NHS Inform website or by calling 0800 028 2816.

Associate director of public health at NHS Borders, Dr Keith Allan, said: “We would encourage anyone in these towns to consider getting a rapid Covid-19 test, even if you have had one previously.

“A lot can happen in a few weeks and around a third of people with Covid-19 show no symptoms, so this is a valuable opportunity to make sure that you really are currently Covid-19 free.

"It takes about five minutes to get tested using a lateral flow device (LFD) and your results will be sent to you by text message.

“Community testing is part of an important strategy to better monitor and understand how Covid-19 spreads, especially in those who do not show typical Covid-19 symptoms during periods of both high and low Covid cases in the community.

“Even though there are only a small number of cases in the Borders at the moment, community testing provides helpful data.

"In fact, a negative result is as useful to us as a positive result. This is so we can more accurately predict future Covid cases and clusters – particularly over the coming weeks and months as lockdown restrictions are eased.”

Dedicated assistance is available to anyone who needs to self-isolate, including food packages and financial support through calling your Community Assistance Hub on 0300 100 1800.