Rapid Testing: Herefordshire workers encouraged to get tested twice a week

Two more community pharmacies in Herefordshire have joined the county’s COVID-19 rapid testing programme making it easier for essential workers, who cannot work from home, to get tested.

They are:

• Hereford Pharmacy, Hereford;
• WS&B Rees Pharmacy, Leominster;

This brings the total number of pharmacies currently offering rapid tests to workers without symptoms to three as Westfields Walk Pharmacy, Leominster, had already joined the programme. The aim is to increase the number in the coming weeks.

These pharmacies have joined the government’s Community Asymptomatic Testing Programme being run locally by Herefordshire Council.

Around one in three people who are infected with COVID-19 have no symptoms so could be spreading the disease without knowing it. Broadening testing to identify those showing no symptoms will mean finding positive cases more quickly, and help break the chain of transmission.

Symptom-free essential workers, who need to leave home to do their job, are being encouraged get tested, using a rapid test (known as a Lateral Flow Test), twice a week. Pharmacy tests can be booked here.

In addition to the pharmacies, Herefordshire has four council-run test centres in Hereford, Ross-on-Wye, Ledbury and Leominster. Tests centre appointments can be booked through the council’s website.

The rapid tests produce a result in up to 2 hours and people are notified by text message or email. Anyone who does not receive their result within 12 hours, should take another rapid test.

Herefordshire Public Health Consultant Sarah Smith said: “I am delighted that two more pharmacies have joined the programme in Herefordshire. The pharmacies add an important extra layer to our symptom-free testing programme and will enable some people, who find it difficult to attend one of the council’s test centres, to access tests near to them.

“Testing remains a vital part in our efforts to suppress the virus and keep our communities safe. The greater access people have to testing, the quicker we can find cases and break the chain of transmission.”