New coronavirus testing centre to open in Mansfield

The facility will be open from 8am until 8pm, seven days a week at the car park of the Civic Centre off Chesterfield Road South from Saturday.

Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: "The council is keen to do everything it can to facilitate efforts to tackle this second wave of the virus.

"We hope this accessible, close-to-home facility will help to bring down infection transmission rates in Mansfield. Anyone with coronavirus symptoms will be able to get a test and we encourage people to be tested, however mild their symptoms may be."

Local public health leaders selected the site because it is well known, easy to find, and is a fairly large, level space.

It has also been used for the mobile testing unit programme during the past six months.

Mr Abrahams added: "It is anticipated that the Local Testing Site may create some traffic around the Civic Centre and it may mean there is a lack of public parking at the Civic Centre which could affect people collecting children from local schools or visiting the nearby surgery or pharmacy.

"We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause but we're confident the public and local businesses will work with us on this as it's obviously important we help to reduce the number of virus cases in the district so we can all get back to normal sooner rather than later."

Tests at the site will be self-administered. Parents will carry out tests on their children if they cannot do it themselves.

To book a test visit the NHS website or call 119.