Drive-through coronavirus testing facility is to open in Deeside on Wednesday

A drive-through coronavirus testing facility is to open at Deeside Industrial Park on Wednesday, June 10.

The testing centre is situated in land next to the Toyota engine plant at Deeside Industrial Estate.

The site, which will be operated in partnership with Mitie forms part of the existing network of testing sites being set up around the UK.

Volunteers from high street chemist Boots will will assist with the running of the site. 

Anyone experiencing a new, continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of or change in their normal sense of smell or taste, should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119 to find out if they currently have coronavirus.  

Anyone testing positive for the virus 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.

Professor John Newton, National Coordinator for the UK Coronavirus Testing Strategy, said: “This is another opportunity to make testing easily available to anyone who needs it.

Sites like this allow people who develop symptoms to quickly get a test and find out whether they need to stay at home with their household or can safely return to work or more normal life.

This whole programme has been a great example of collaboration between industries and businesses with the public sector to build the capability needed to protect the population from coronavirus.

The testing centre is being operated in partnership with Mitie and will offer assisted and self-administered tests.

Those tested will receive their results within a few days.”

Welsh Government Health Minister, Vaughan Gething said: “The new Deeside facility will be a further boost to our testing capacity in Wales.

Anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms in Wales, from members of the public to critical workers, can book a test at a local drive-through centre or order a home testing kit.

Scaling up testing forms an important part of our Test, Trace, Protect strategy which will help us ease lockdown measures, so I welcome this new facility and the convenient access to testing it will provide for those living in north east Wales.”

Tim Freeman , Deputy Managing Director Toyota Manufacturing UK Ltd “Toyota are very pleased to support our local community in making this land available to the Testing programme. This centre will ensure that people in both the North West and Wales can access a local facility more easily to help combat the spread of Covid.”

Simon Venn, Chief Government & Strategy Officer, Mitie, said: 

 “Our priority during the pandemic is to support the nation’s efforts to fight COVID-19 and help keep the country running.

Testing is a critical part of the UK’s strategy to combat coronavirus and we’re proud to support the Government with this vital task.

A big thank you to all the NHS staff, Mitie employees and other frontline heroes in Deeside who are working tirelessly to keep us all safe.” 

 A Boots UK spokesperson said: “Boots has been at the heart of UK healthcare for 171 years and has always come forward to support the community in times of need.

Our team in Deeside is no exception. Some of our colleagues have already stepped forward to volunteer to run this COVID-19 testing station, which will start testing essential workers and people with symptoms of coronavirus on Wednesday, 10 June.” 

In addition to the regional test sites, 116 mobile testing units operated by the Armed Forces travel around the UK to further increase access to coronavirus testing.

They respond to need, travelling to test at sites including care homes, police stations and prisons. New units are being brought into operation each day.

The UK Government has set up a home-testing service, supported by Amazon’s logistics network and other commercial partners.

Home test kits can be delivered to someone’s door so they can test themselves and their family without leaving the house.