THE remaining Covid testing sites in the North East will close for the final time today despite rising case figures in the region.
The government announced in February that free testing for most citizens would end on March 31.
Free PCR tests won't be available to people with Covid symptoms from April either, except for a small number of at-risk groups.
Visitors to adult social care settings, and visitors to the NHS, prisons or places of detention will no longer be required to take a test.
Read more: Free Covid tests in England to be scrapped for most people from this week
A spokeswoman for the UK Health Security Agency said: “As per the government’s Living with Covid plan, from the end of 31 March all testing sites for the general public in England will cease operations, once free testing for the general public ends.
“We’d once again like to thank staff for their hard work and for playing such a vital role in our pandemic response.
“Free PCR and LFD tests will continue to be available to specific groups after 31 March and further detail is set out here.
“The government has retained the ability to enable a rapid testing response should it be needed, such as the emergence of a new variant of concern.”
Stockton Council confirmed its Wellington Square testing site will close on Thursday and from Friday, it will be used by the NHS for vaccinations two days a week.
Covid testing sites due to close:
Chester-le-Street – Riverside car park
Durham – Territorial Lane car park
Bishop Auckland – Etherley Lane
Shildon – Railway Museum
Darlington – Blackwell Meadows
Hartlepool – West View Road
Stockton – Thompson Street East
Stockton – Wellington Square
Middlesbrough _ Cannon Park car park
Middlesbrough – Pallister car park
Northallerton – Forum car park
Catterick – Richmond Road
People who are eligible for free tests in England include:
- Hospital patients who have symptoms of Covid. These patients will be given lab tests in hospital where it is required for their care or to support ongoing surveillance of the virus.
- People who are at risk of severe Covid-19 who have symptoms. These people might be eligible for Covid-19 treatments which help alleviate their symptoms. People in this group will be sent lateral flow tests to keep at home for use if they have symptoms.
- Some workers or residents of “high risk settings” who have symptoms. This includes some care home and hospice staff and residents, NHS workers and prison staff. People will also be tested before being discharged from hospital into care homes, hospices, homelessness settings and domestic abuse refuges.
- Some NHS and social care staff will continue to get free tests when they don’t have symptoms when there are high rates of infection in the community.
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