Oldham Council is urging residents to book a free coronavirus test with a series of sites now available across the borough.
They include permanent sites and mobile testing units as follows:
| Permanent/mobile testing unit | Opening days/times
|
Walk through/drive through | |
| Oasis Academy, Hollins Road (car park of school) | Permanent (until school re-opens) | 7 days a week, 8am-8pm | Walk through |
| Southgate Street, Oldham town centre (car park of Gallery Oldham) | Permanent | 7 days a week, 8am-8pm
|
Walk through |
| Saddleworth Leisure Centre, Uppermill (car park of leisure centre) | Mobile testing unit | Tuesday 18 August Wednesday 19 August 10.30am-3.30pm all days |
Walk through and drive through |
| Rock Street, Oldham town centre (old Leisure Centre car park) | Mobile testing unit | Wednesday 19 August Thursday 20 August Friday 21 August 10.30am-3.30pm all days |
Walk through and drive through
|
| Al-Madina Centre, Bismark House, Glodwick | Mobile testing unit | Wednesday 19 August Thursday 20 August Friday 21 August 10.30am-3.30pm all days |
Walk through |
| Earl Mill, Dowry Street, Hathershaw | Mobile testing unit
|
Thursday 20 August Friday 21 August 10.30am-3.30pm all days |
Walk through and drive through
|
With good availability of testing across the borough, you can book a test at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by dialling 119 – which will put you through to the dedicated NHS coronavirus testing service.
You can book a test for yourself and up to three additional members of your household.
Testing takes only a few minutes and staff are on hand to guide you through the process and support you. It’s quick and painless and available for adults and children.
You can also order a home testing kit on the website or phoneline and easily carry out the test in the comfort of your own home.
If you have any symptoms of coronavirus, it’s really important you get tested as soon as possible. Not only will it keep you safe, it also means your close contacts can be traced and the outbreak controlled.
But because many people can be asymptomatic – show no or very little signs of having coronavirus – Oldham Council is also urging those without symptoms to get tested.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Deputy Leader of Oldham Council and Cabinet Member for Covid-19 Recovery, said: “Testing is crucial if we are to stop the spread of Coronavirus, save lives, and avoid a local lockdown.
“The more testing we do, the more we can understand where the virus is circulating and how it is spreading. We can focus our resources where they are most needed. And we can see if the positivity rate – the rate of positive tests – is starting to come down.
“There is a misconception that the more we test, the higher our positivity rate, and therefore the more we risk a local lockdown. This is not true.
“As testing rates increase, we would expect to see negative tests as much as positive – but at the moment that isn’t the case. We need to test as much as possible so we can start to see the rate coming down and know that the virus is under control in Oldham.
“We can’t afford to put lives, jobs and businesses at risk – which are doing their best to get back on their feet after the last lockdown. Please help us to fight this by taking advantage of one of the many nearby testing sites or ordering a home testing kit.”
