Mobile coronavirus testing unit operated by military personnel opens in Halifax

The unit will be in place until Tuesday July 21, people will be able to get tested there if they have symptoms of COVID-19 and have booked their test on the national system:

Access to the testing unit is by booking only, to ensure it can operate safely.

It is open from 10am to 4pm on weekdays and between 11am and 3pm at the weekend.

Deborah Harkins, Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health, said: “We welcome the mobile testing unit as it will increase access to COVID-19 testing for more people in Calderdale. Testing is a really important first line of defence in controlling the spread of the virus, which we will be living with in our communities for some time.

“Over the course of the pandemic, Calderdale has had a relatively low number of COVID-19 cases and is in the lowest 25% of local authorities in England. However, the rate of cases in Calderdale residents has increased in the last few weeks. As restrictions are eased and we come into contact with more people, there is more opportunity for the virus to spread.

“We are prepared for this as part of our local Outbreak Prevention and Control Plan, which we have developed in partnership with the NHS and other organisations. We continue to work together to protect our communities from COVID-19 and prevent and manage outbreaks. A key part of this is to provide more testing centres across Calderdale, so that it’s easy for people to get tested if they have symptoms.”

The Council has said testing is a vital part of preventing, identifying and managing COVID-19, which is still within the borough's communities.

The unit is run by fully trained military personnel as part of the national COVID-19 testing programme. Strict measures are in place to ensure the unit is run safely, such as staff wearing personal protective equipment.

Councillor Tim Swift, Leader of Calderdale Council, added: “Protecting people from COVID-19 remains our priority, as it’s still a very real threat in our communities. We must all continue the great work done so far to keep each other safe and keep the number of cases as low as possible.

“Although the mobile testing unit is initially in Mixenden for five days, this is a pilot and we’ll be reviewing uptake to decide on future mobile testing requirements. We are looking at potential testing sites across Calderdale as part of our wider plan to increase access to testing throughout the borough.”