Solihull Council is opening a walk-through COVID test site to serve the north of the borough and this follows the pilot drop and collect testing service in the Chelmsley Wood area.
The walk-through test site will open Thursday 3 December and is located at the Roundmead Day Centre (postcode B37 5BU) to the right of Chelmsley Wood Primary Care Centre, until the end of December. If the infection rates remain high, the test site will remain in place for longer.
As with the drop and collect service Roundmead is for those with and without symptoms. Those with booked appointments will be able to take a test on site, in privacy.
Tests must be booked by calling 0121 704 6918. No one should turn up without a booking.
The site will initially open from 10-12pm (Monday-Friday). These hours may be extended if there is an increase in demand. Any update(s) to the service, including opening hours, will be updated via the Council social media channels.
Residents should arrive a few minutes before their booked appointment and should follow the signs that are in place which explain where to queue, enter and exit the building. Anyone attending the site should wear a face covering (unless exempt), keep it on at all times, maintain social distancing when queuing, and only enter the building when directed. This will help to keep everyone safe.
Please do not use public transport to travel to the site, if you are symptomatic. Roundmead is very close to Chelmsley Wood Shopping Centre and therefore easily walkable. If you are travelling by car please use the car park opposite the Care Centre.
Residents are reminded to keep following the rules to reduce COVID transmissions. Remember hands, face and space.
Anyone testing positive as part of this service will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them track their contacts. This will help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.
Lastly, the regional testing site at Birmingham Airport and the Mobile Testing Unit at Monkspath Hall Road remain open as normal. Appointments at these sites must be booked in the normal way via the online national booking system or by calling 119. No one should turn up without a booking.
Ruth Tennant, Director of Public Health, said:
“It’s great news that we can now offer an accessible testing site in the north of the borough. It also means that residents unable to use a drive-through testing site because they do not have a car can now get a test.
“Testing will continue to be key to understanding the spread of the virus and identifying those who are infected and we are looking to develop further sites across the borough to ensure that as many people who need a test can get one, quickly.
“I would also like to remind people that it’s not just about getting a test but also what you do if you receive a positive result. Please don’t go out and don’t go to work.
“It is now a legal requirement to self-isolate and there is financial and other support available to help people to do this. If you do get COVID, our team will be in contact to make sure you know what help is out there.”