Community testing for COVID-19 in Winchester

Community testing is a new programme for testing people without COVID-19 symptoms to help reduce transmission of coronavirus. Around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 have no symptoms so could be spreading the disease without knowing it. Community testing will help us identify more positive cases quickly and support people to self-isolate, therefore breaking chains of transmission and protecting communities.

• Book online 24 hours in advance and up to 5pm the day before (appointments should take no more than 30 minutes)
  • If you, or someone you know, doesn't have access to the internet, call us on 01962 848 289 and we'll book online via the Hampshire County Council website on your behalf
• Appointments are available from 9:30am-4:30pm, Monday to Saturday
• You’ll be asked not to eat anything for 30 minutes prior to your test
• On arrival you’ll be signposted to the registration area
• Use your smart device to scan a card you’ll be given on the day
• Take the test (a self-administered swab of the nose and throat, under the guidance of trained staff)
• Leave by the one way system
• Test results will be sent by email or text message to your mobile (or to a nominated mobile number belonging to a family member of friend, if you do not have your own).  If you don’t have an email address or mobile phone you will need to call 119 the next day to get your results.  You can also request an automated voice recording to your landline with the results. Alternatively, you can register for a testing account before attending your appointment.
• A positive result will mean you need to follow self-isolation guidance and book another test which will be analysed at a lab to confirm you have the virus
• A negative result means you can simply re-book for your next test – you should have two tests per week, at least 48 hours apart

 No - the test is free.

You can book an asymptomatic COVID-19 test if you are not covered by other nation testing programmes, and are:

• Public sector critical frontline worker such as those working in health and social care
• Staff in early years settings, such as childminders and private nurseries
• Volunteers, including those supporting local authorities and emergency services in providing a welfare response to local residents
• Other critical workers employed by companies with fewer than 50 employees, for example:
  • Education and childcare
  • Key public services
  • Food and other necessary good including supermarket workers
  • Public safety and security
  • Transport workers including trains, taxis, and busses
  • Construction workers; utilities; communications
• Over 16 years of age
• Not displaying symptoms of COVID-19

If you have 10 or more employees, you can order tests for your employees to collect from their workplace and use at home twice a week. 

Do not attend your booking if you start displaying COVID-19 symptoms or have been told to isolate by NHS Track and Trace. If you are displaying symptoms, you should book a symptomatic test or call 119

Drop in for a test, or book in advance

Community testing sites are accepting walk-ins. There is no need to book an appointment. Simply drop in to your nearest site.

Visit the Hampshire County Council website to find your preferred testing centre and book your test.

If you don't have online access, call us on 01962 848 289 and we'll book an appointment on your behalf via the Hampshire County Council website.

 

Our local community testing centre is based in Winchester Discovery Centre, Jewry St, Winchester, SO23 8SB.

You must book a test – you cannot turn up and get a test without having booked in advance.

Book a test or find other testing centres on the Hampshire County Council website.

Drop in for a test, or book in advance

Community testing sites are accepting walk-ins. There is no need to book an appointment. Simply drop in to your nearest site.

• Please bring your work/organisation ID to your appointment – testing is for critical frontline workers only
• It is recommended that you don’t eat or drink for 30 minutes before your test, but you can bring water for drinking afterwards
• Bring a smart device, if you have one and download the NHS COVID-19 app before you arrive, so that you can scan the QR code
• Walk or cycle if possible, but if you have to drive, a small number of parking spaces are available for free at the rear of the Jewry Street car park (SO23 8RY) while you have your test
• Please wear a face covering to your appointment

Do not attend your booking if you start displaying COVID-19 symptoms or have been told to isolate by NHS Track and Trace. If you are displaying symptoms, you should book a symptomatic test or call 119.

Most tests generate a result in half an hour. You will be asked to provide an email address or phone number which will be used to notify you of your test result.

Alternatively, you can register for a testing account before attending your appointment.

If you get a positive result, you must self-isolate straight away along with everyone in your household. This is a legal requirement. You will need to self-isolate from the date of the first test plus the next 10 days.

The NHS Test and Trace app will notify those you have come into contact with so that they can self-isolate and get tested where necessary. Please remember to fill out the registration forms as fully as possible.

The test is taken with a lateral flow device (LFD). LFD tests are a fast and simple way to test people who do not have symptoms of COVID-19, but who may still be spreading the virus. The tests are easy to use and give results in around 30 minutes. Those who test positive must immediately self-isolate to avoid passing the virus on to others.

Taking a lateral flow test involves taking a sample from the back of the throat near the tonsils and from the nose, using a swab. The swab is dipped into an extraction solution and dipped on the LFD paper pad, producing the reaction that gives the result.

More information can be found on the government website.

Yes. If you have been vaccinated, you should still take lateral flow device tests when indicated. This is because we do not yet know whether vaccination prevents the transmission of COVID-19.

Lateral flow tests are less accurate than the usual (PCR) COVID-19 tests that are sent to the laboratory for processing. Results from lateral flow devices have reduced sensitivity, which means that they do not always correctly generate a positive result for people with COVID-19. Lateral flow is useful for finding out if a person is infectious now. When levels of the virus are at their highest and people are mostly likely to pass on the disease, lateral flow tests can detect the vast majority of cases. Lateral flow testing is less likely to return a positive result when low levels of the virus are present.

It is important to note that a negative result with a lateral flow device does not mean you do not have COVID-19, and you must continue to adhere to the COVID-19 rules should you test negative, including regular hand washing, wearing a face covering, and social distancing (hands, face, and space).

PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) is the type of testing that is available for people who have symptoms of COVID-19. The PCR test is the “gold standard” for testing but the results need to be processed in a laboratory and so it usually takes between 24 to 72 hours for someone in the community to get their test result back. If you have symptoms of COVID-19 you must follow the stay at home guidance (self-isolate) and book a test.

Lateral flow tests use a similar swab to collect the sample, but swabs processed using lateral flow tests provide results quickly. They are used for people who do not have symptoms but who are still infectious: even though they miss some people who have the virus, they can identify people who did not know they were infected. If these people isolate quickly, they can avoid passing the virus on to other people.