Highland Council announces pop-up Lateral Flow Device (LFD) collection points in the Highlands which will be available next week
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Packs of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests will be distributed from several Highland locations from Monday to Friday next week.
Highland Council and NHS Highland are working in partnership to increase availability of LFD tests throughout the Highlands.
Free packs of LFD tests will be made available to the public in several outdoor locations across the Highland region, to be taken away and used at home.
Staff will be present to give guidance on how to take the test. The deployment is not due to any particular outbreak in these areas.
Packs of LFD tests for anyone without symptoms will be available to collect at the following locations:
Monday January 31:
• Nairn Falconers Lane Car Park between 8.30am and 12.30pm;
• Inverness High Street at Market Brae Steps between 1pm and 4pm.
Tuesday February 1:
• Alness High Street (Bank Lane) between 9am and noon;
• The library in Invergordon High Street between 1pm and 4pm;
• Highland Council Service Point in Tain High Street between 9am and noon;
• Cathedral Square in Dornoch between 1pm and 4pm;
• Fountain Road Car Park in Golspie between 9am and noon;
• Gower Lane Car Park in Brora between 1pm-4pm.
Wednesday February 2:
• The museum in Dingwall High Street between 8.30am and noon;
• Muir of Ord Library Car Park between 1pm and 4pm;
• Falconers Lane car park in Nairn between 8am and 12.30pm and 1pm and 4.30pm;
• Rotterdam Street in Thurso between 10.30am and 12.30pm and 1pm and 3pm.
Thursday February 3:
• Inverness Retail Park between 8.30am and noon;
• Inshes Retail Park between 1pm and 4pm;
• Inverness High Street at Market Brae Steps between 8.30am and 12:30pm and 1pm and 4pm.
Friday 4 February:
• The library in Invergordon High Street between 9am and noon;
• Alness High Street (Bank Lane) between 1pm and 3.30pm;
• Cathedral Square in Dornoch between 9am and noon;
• Highland Council Service Point in Tain High Street between 1pm and 3.30pm;
• Gower Lane car park in Brora between 9am and noon;
• Fountain Road car park in Golspie between 1pm and 3.30pm.
LFD tests are easy to administer. By taking one regularly, we can help our community, families and friends stay safe and slow down the spread of coronavirus. Tracking down cases of the virus earlier will limit the spread of new variants.
It is very important that you report your LFD test result so your contacts can be traced. This helps to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community. To report your result, visit the Covid test Scotland website.
If you receive a positive LFD test result, you must report your result and self-isolate immediately.
Free LFD tests for people without Covid-19 symptoms are also available to collect from pharmacies, and can be sent to your home by visiting NHS Inform or by calling 119.
LFD tests are already provided in some workplaces including schools. If you do already get tested through your workplace or education setting you should continue to use those routes.
Bill Lobban, convener of Highland Council, said: “In Highland, cases of Covid-19 are high. This makes it more important than ever to use LFD tests regularly to make sure we don’t have the virus asymptomatically and to reassure us that we’re keeping each other safe.”
Dr Tim Allison, director of public health with NHS Highland, said: “There is still a high level of Covid-19 within the Highlands and minimising spread remains vitally important.
"When dealing with a disease that can be asymptomatic, such as Covid-19, it is necessary to diagnose cases as early as possible to prevent more people becoming infected without realising.
"The regular taking of LFD tests in our community helps the NHS to find asymptomatic cases and stop the virus spreading.”
Highland Council and NHS Highland’s Community Testing Programme offers rapid Covid-19 tests for people without symptoms, through the use of mobile testing sites and outreach events.
If you do have symptoms, you should not visit a mobile testing site. Instead, you should self-isolate immediately and seek a Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) test. Symptoms include new continuous cough, fever, or loss of, or change in, sense of smell or taste.
PCR tests for people with Covid-19 symptoms can also be arranged by visiting NHS Inform or by calling 119.
