New Covid testing centre could be opened in South Tyneside next week - with two more on the way

A new Covid testing centre could be ready to open in Jarrow next week, with the prospect raised of more in South Shields and Boldon.
Watch more of our videos on Shots! 
and live on Freeview channel 276
Visit Shots! now

Health chiefs for South Tyneside have revealed the facility, which would offer walk-through appointments, is waiting on a government green light.

But they added they also expect to cut one of the two mobile screening units currently working in the borough.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“We also have approved three additional local testing sites now,” said Tom Hall, director of public health at South Tyneside Council.

A new Covid testing centre could be opened in South Tyneside next weekA new Covid testing centre could be opened in South Tyneside next week
A new Covid testing centre could be opened in South Tyneside next week

“We’re busy working on the location for two of them – one will be in South Shields and the other will be towards the south of the patch, probably around the Boldon area.

“[We’re also mobilising] at the old Jarrow Library another local testing site and we hope that will be operational from next week, but we’re waiting on official confirmation from the Department of Health and Social Care.”

Hall was speaking at a meeting of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Co-ordinating and Call-In Committee.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The session was arranged specially to update councillors on the borough’s coronavirus response after an on presentation planned for earlier this month had to be cancelled at short notice due to technical problems.

A pair of mobile testing units have previously been swabbing suspected Covid-19 cases at Temple Park and Little Haven, in South Shields.

But one of these is expected to be stood down in the coming weeks as health chiefs move to ‘semi-permanent’ facilities instead.

While the new testing centres will allow walk-through testing without the need to travel by car, they are unlikely to offer swabs to ‘walk-ins’ who turn up without a prior appointment.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Mr Hall added: “You will be able to walk in but you should make an appointment beforehand.

“We are seeing whether there is any ability to take any walk-ins, but to help manage the number of tests they have on site for the day they are using the booking system.

“There were some glitches with the booking system around the beginning of September.

“As far as I’m aware that has died down now and people are getting access to tests locally very readily.”

Read More
Read more: Mum of murder victim Brandon Lee speaks of heartbreak and how he will...

A message from the Editor:

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to the Shields Gazette website and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit here to sign up. You can subscribe to the newspaper with 20% off here. Thank you.