Home coronavirus testing kits available at Merry Hill shopping centre
Visitors to Merry Hill shopping centre will be able to pick up free coronavirus home testing kits while they shop this week.
Dudley Council is working in partnership with the shopping centre – which will see staff handing out kits from today until Friday, between 9am and 5pm outside Marks and Spencer on the lower mall.
It is part of a national drive to encourage everyone to have twice weekly rapid symptom-free tests to track undetected cases of the virus.
Kits are also available to collect from multiple venues, including participating pharmacies and other locations across Dudley.
Councillor Nicolas Barlow, Dudley Council's cabinet member for health and adult social care, said: "Thanks to Merry Hill for getting on board with this drive to encourage everyone in the borough to get twice weekly symptom free tests.
"As restrictions are starting to ease and we are able to do more, it’s so important that regular testing becomes a part of our weekly routines.
"It remains, along with having the vaccine, one of the key actions we can all take to control and reduce the number of positive cases."
Kay Starkey, customer services manager at Merry Hill, added: "We are proud to be supporting Dudley Council to distribute lateral flow tests to our visitors and colleagues at the centre this week.
"The health and wellbeing of our local community is incredibly important to us and by supporting the distribution of these tests, we hope to assist the overall efforts in helping the local community to get access to this vital service."
People can also visit a rapid symptom free testing centre at Saltwells Education Centre or numerous pharmacies and faith settings across the borough. From May 17, Saltwells Education Centre will no longer offer tests on Sundays, but they will still be available Monday to Saturday.
Anyone who tests positive after taking a symptom free test must self-isolate immediately and book in for a standard PCR test.
