Located at the Queen Katherine School on Appleby Road in Kendal, the site is open on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.
The test, which provides a result within 30 minutes, means those people who are unable to work from home, can go back to their place of work with peace of mind that they are not unknowingly spreading the virus.
Over a dozen members from James Cropper, together with other local volunteers and the Cumbria Fire and Rescue Service, are helping to run the centre by administering tests and processing test results. The site has the capacity to test approximately a thousand people a week.
Regular Lateral Flow Testing of people without COVID-19 symptoms is a key part of the Government’s strategy to control the spread of the virus. This type of testing helps spot asymptomatic carriers – people who have COVID-19 and are infectious but are not showing signs of being unwell. If the test comes back positive, it means the person can self-isolate to protect others in the area.
The opening of the new test centre is part of the first phase of sites being opened around the county by Cumbria County Council. In addition to the one in Kendal, four other sites are being considered across the Cumbria region in Aspatria, Carlisle, Kendal, Penrith and Millom.
