TWO new coronavirus testing sites are to open in the next few days to boost the Dudley borough’s testing capacity.

The first will open on the car park next to Swanpool Park, off Studley Gate in Stourbridge on Friday (January 15) and will offer tests for people displaying symptoms of coronavirus – a new and persistent cough, a high temperature or loss or change in sense of taste and smell.

The site will be the third walk-through site to offer symptom testing.

The second new testing site will open on Tuesday January 19 in the sports hall at Dudley Leisure Centre and will offer lateral flow tests to people who are completely symptom free.

Access to the site will be via the sports hall doors, not the main leisure centre entrance.

Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley's cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: "I’m really pleased we’re expanding our testing capacity in the borough, both for people who are completely symptom free and those who are displaying symptoms.

"It’s important we all do everything we can to stop this virus in its tracks and testing therefore remains crucial."

Other walk-through test sites for people displaying symptoms are located on the Flood Street car park, Dudley, and Jackson Street, Lye.

The borough also has two temporary drive-in sites for symptom testing, one at The Waterfront, Brierley Hill, and one at Himley Hall and Park.

Further details of sites can be found at dudley.gov.uk/coronavirustesting.

All tests must be booked in advance online at gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

The soon to open symptom free test site at Dudley Leisure Centre complements that taking place at 30 pharmacies across the borough and at Saltwells Education Centre, Netherton.

To qualify for a symptom free test a person must be a key worker who lives/works in the borough and has a public facing role but is unable to get a lateral flow test through their employer, and for those in contact with people who are vulnerable such as shop workers, taxi drivers and those providing support in the voluntary sector.

People who live or work in the borough and cannot follow the ‘stay at home’ directive for one of the permitted reasons can also seek a test.

Tests can be booked online and people get the results in 20 to 30 minutes.

People will still need to swab their nose and throat, but the results are much faster than the standard test which goes to a lab.

For more details go to dudley.gov.uk/council-community/emergencies/coronavirus/coronavirus-testing/symptom-free-covid-19-testing/.

Lateral flow tests only measure if someone is infectious at that point in time.

If anyone has a positive result or a negative result and goes on to develop any symptoms, they must self-isolate immediately and arrange a standard test at one of the borough’s test sites.

Anyone who has a positive test must self-isolate immediately and follow the advice given by the local contact tracing team or national test and trace service.

Anyone who has had a confirmed positive result for Covid must not book a symptom free test until after 90 days from the date of the positive result.