CORONAVIRUS: More than 10,000 people have now used Boston community testing centres

More than 10,000 people have now been tested at Boston's rapid community testing centres.
More than 10,000 tested at Boston centresMore than 10,000 tested at Boston centres
More than 10,000 tested at Boston centres

In terms of community testing, more than 10,000 people have now been tested at the two rapid testing centres in Boston.

Of the 10,496 tests administered at the Peter Paine and Tollfield centres, 154 (1.47%) have been positive – a figure that is about average for other community testing sites.

There have been 4,150 tests at Peter Paine and 6,346 at Tollfield, figures shared by Boston Borough Councl yesterday (Monday February 22) showed.

Christian Allen, the council’s assistant director – regulation, said the sites would be operating until the end of February in their current location, and funding was in place until the end of March, although they may have to change locations with schools’ re-opening.

And he said it was likely community testing would have to stay in place until much later this year.

“Even if you’ve been vaccinated, you can still spread the infection. So community testing is going to be with us well into Autumn this year and will be rolled out county wide so it is more accessible to more people,” he said.

Mr Allen also stressed that the community testing sites were not for people with symptoms, or for people who had been in contact with those who had tested positive.

“We have had some situates when people have turned up alongside people who have tested positive and been told to come to our site, but that is not what it is there for. People in that situation need to self-isolate and book an NHS test,” he said.

It was also vital that people who tested negative continued to follow all the guidance and regulations, he added.

“The asymptomatic test isn’t a test to enable. People leaving the test centre need to follow the government guidance on hands face and space.”

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