Coronavirus: Drive-through test site opens in Wolverhampton
The NHS in England is set to "ramp up" facilities nationwide so 10,000 tests can be carried out each day.
Wednesday 11 March 2020 16:09, UK
A drive-through coronavirus test site has opened in Wolverhampton to allow members of the public to check if they have the disease.
The NHS in England is set to "ramp up" facilities nationwide so 10,000 COVID-19 tests can be done each day.
Health chiefs have said directing people to such sites rather than hospitals or doctor surgeries reduces the risk to the wider public.
The Wolverhampton facility has been set up in a city council-owned car park to allow people with referrals from the NHS 111 service to be swabbed for the virus.
People are swabbed while sitting in their vehicle before going home and getting their results once the sample has been tested.
Mike Hastings, Wolverhampton clinical commissioning group operations director, said: "We are working in collaboration with NHS colleagues to begin community drive-through swabbing of patients to test for coronavirus.
"By testing people in their cars rather than inviting them into hospital sites or GP surgeries we are able to greatly reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
"It's important to stress that this service is available by referral only.
"People will not be seen or tested if they turn up without a referral from NHS 111."
A drive-through test centre for the coronavirus opened in Edinburgh, Scotland, in February.
In other coronavirus developments:
- Chancellor sets out range of emergency measures to deal with coronavirus crisis
- Interest rates cut to help economy during outbreak
- Manchester City's game against Arsenal tonight is postponed and players are self-isolating
- A man is pulled from the rubble of a quarantine hotel in China nearly three days after it collapsed
- UN weather agency chief says decreased energy use due to the coronavirus is improving air quality in China
The facility in Wolverhampton has been set up as a British woman became Indonesia's first coronavirus death.
Six people have died after being diagnosed with the virus in the UK.
Another Briton died in Japan last month having been on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship.
There are currently 382 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, in the UK.
There are more than 119,000 cases worldwide and more than 4,200 deaths.
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The Department of Health and Social Care has said there are no plans to test any minister, including the prime minister, after health minister Nadine Dorries became the first MP to be diagnosed with the COVID-19.
Public Health England (PHE) is working to advise those who have been in close contact with Ms Dorries.
Labour MP for York Central Rachael Maskell has said she is self-isolating on the advice of 111 following a meeting with the Ms Dorries last Thursday.