Rapid Covid-19 lateral flow device testing to be offered at Inverness Retail Park as Highland Council and NHS Highland increase availability of tests throughout the region
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Rapid Lateral Flow Device testing for Covid-19 will be available at Inverness Retail Park
throughout next week.
Highland Council and NHS Highland are working in partnership to increase availability of Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests throughout the Highlands.
As part of the community testing programme, Covid-19 mobile clinics are being deployed throughout the Highlands with staff and volunteers who can help in administering the test.
The deployment to Inverness is not due to any particular outbreak in the area.
The mobile testing unit Moves Like Jagger will be available for drop-in LFD testing for anyone without symptoms at Tesco Car Park, Inverness Retail Park, next week on the following days:
Monday – 10am-4pm; Tuesday – 9am-4pm; Wednesday – 9am-4pm; Thursday – 9am-4pm;
Friday – 9am-3pm.
The process of registration and testing at a mobile testing site takes about 10 minutes, and no appointment is necessary.
Highland Council Convener Bill Lobban 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."
Anyone going to the mobile testing unit will first be asked to wait outside, before being registered and entering.
They will then be escorted to a testing booth, where guidance will be given on how to do the test.
After the test is done, guidance will be provided on what to do if the result is negative, positive or unclear.
Results are usually sent within an hour but may occasionally take up to 24 hours. Results will be sent by text and/or email so there is no need to stay on-site after a test is done.
The mobile testing unit will also be operating an LFD collect service, which makes packs of seven testing kits available for free to the public to be taken away and used at home.
Anyone visiting a mobile testing unit is advised to take the opportunity to do a test on-site, before taking a pack home.
People who have been vaccinated should still consider getting tested. While vaccines reduce the risk of infection after 14-21 days, people who have been vaccinated could still become infected.
Free LFD tests for people without Covid-19 symptoms are also available to collect from pharmacies, and can be sent to people's home by visiting nhsinform.scot/testing, or by calling 119.
Anyone already getting tested through their workplace or education setting should continue to use those routes.
It is also important to report the LFD test results so contacts can be traced which helps to prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community.
At a testing site, tests will be reported for you. To report results when testing at home, visit
www.nhsinform.scot/campaigns/coronavirus-covid-19-report-your-test-result.
Anyone receiving a positive test result, must report it and self-isolate immediately.
Anyone with symptoms should not visit a mobile testing site. Instead, they 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 those with symptoms can also be arranged by visiting www.nhsinform.scot/testing, or by calling 119.
