Revised opening times for Black Country Covid test centres over festive period

Wolverhampton residents are being urged to to take extra care and get a rapid Covid-19 test before meeting more vulnerable people or if they mix with others in crowded indoor places.

Rapid testing, for people without symptoms of Covid-19, is free and can identify cases of the virus among people who don't realise they have it, amid the the new Omricon variant spreading rapidly.

Double jabbed contacts of people with Covid-19 are now also able to take a daily rapid test, rather than having to self-isolate, as was previously the case.

The walk-in rapid test site at the Civic Centre is open on Mondays and Thursdays from 8am to 6pm and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8am to 5pm.

It will be closed on Christmas Eve at 2pm, reopening as normal on Tuesday, January 4.

The site at the Jamia Masjid Bilal, Newhampton Road, is open from 10am to 7pm daily, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day when it will be open from 10am to noon.

The walk-in rapid test site at New Cross Hospital is open from Monday to Friday from 8am until 4pm, but will be closed from Christmas Day, reopening from December 29-31, and then closed again until Tuesday, January 4.

Councillor Jasbir Jaspal, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Public Health and Wellbeing, said: "Covid cases remain high in Wolverhampton, with over 1,200 people testing positive last week.

"We need to do all we can to stop the spread of the virus. Testing is a key part of this and the good news is that both rapid and PCR testing is available every day over the Christmas period."

The walk-through PCR test centres at Showell Road, Faulkland Street car park, Blakenhall Resource Centre, Whitmore Reans Library and Railway Street car park, Bilston, are open from 8am to 6pm as usual apart from Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day when they will be open from 10am to 2pm.

The drive-through PCR test site at Priory Green in Pendeford is open from 9am to 3pm daily, except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day when it will be open from 10am to noon.

Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19, no matter how mild, must self-isolate and pre-book a PCR test by calling 119.

For more information about Covid-19 testing, please visit wolverhampton.gov.uk/get-tested.