Walk-in Covid-19 test centre now available in Wolverhampton

From Friday, the walk-in test centre at Faulkland Street, in the city centre, will take up to 50 people per day as 'walk ups' without prior appointment as part of a pilot project.

People who develop symptoms of the virus should immediately self-isolate and try to book a test. However, if they cannot reserve a slot for any reason, they will now able to attend the Faulkland Street centre without prior appointment – on a first come, first served basis.

The city's four other test centres – a drive-through centre at Aldersley Leisure Village and walk-through centres at Showell Road, Blakenhall Community Resource Centre and Mountford Lane in Bilston – remain appointment only.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, Wolverhampton Council's cabinet member for public health and wellbeing, said: "Testing is key to getting a grip on this pandemic, and that's why we have been working hard to make it as easy as possible for people to get tested for Covid-19 if they need to be.

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"We are pleased to have reached agreement with the Department of Health and Social Care to enable us to take walk-ups at the Faulkland Street test centre from people who haven't already booked an appointment. This is part of a pilot project designed to further increase access to testing for local people and to ensure we are making the best use of capacity.

"If you've got symptoms you should still try and book your test online or over the phone as normal, but if you can't reserve a slot you will have the added reassurance that you will still be able to be tested at the Faulkland Street centre."

The city’s director of public health, John Denley, added: "Testing is incredibly important. Primarily, of course, it will enable you to find out whether you have got Covid-19 and to then take whatever steps may be necessary as a result.

"But it's also really important in helping us understand where we are as a city in the fight against coronavirus – for instance, what local infection rates are looking like and where in Wolverhampton the hotspots are – and help us better respond to outbreaks as and when they occur.

"Only by having a really good understanding of how Covid-19 is being transmitted in Wolverhampton will we be able to determine what measures are needed to help beat the virus. Without testing data we cannot do this."