Gloucestershire has been testing key workers for a few weeks now and organising this predominantly through hospitals and our health teams.
I understand we need more people to take up the tests locally as we had spare capacity (ill get an update about this today 24/4).
If you're a key worker who is self-isolating (not able to leave home), you can apply for you and your household to get tested for coronavirus (COVID-19).
Please see the link here and complete the online form: https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/
I have also set out below a note about who is a key workerbelow.
Care homes
For care homes, as many of you will be aware already, residents who are symptomatic will be tested and in Gloucestershire, people being discharged from hospital into care homes are already being tested. Care workers are obviously key workers so they have access to tests now.
What happens for key workers isolating?
If your test result turns out to be negative, you can safely return to work, as long as:
• you are well enough
• you have not had a high temperature for 48 hours
• anyone you live with also tests negative
If your test result is positive, or someone you live with tests positive, you cannot return to work. You’ll need to continue to self-isolate. Read NHS advice about how long to self-isolate.
If your condition gets worse, or you do not get better after 7 days, use the NHS 111 online coronavirus. service. Only call 111 if you cannot get help online. For a medical emergency dial 999.
Follow these next steps to check you can have the coronavirus test. We will then ask you to choose between visiting a drivethrough test centre or requesting a home test kit.
If you are not a key worker?
If you're not a key worker you cannot apply for a test. If you have symptoms, use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do.
Read the coronavirus privacy information
The testing process
The test involves taking a swab of the nose and the back of the throat, which can be done by the person themselves (self-administered) or by someone else (assisted).
The different ways you can get tested are covered below.
Regional testing sites
We are establishing a network of drive-through regional testing sites. We aim to open up to 50 sites by the end of April.
Watch a video explaining the process for drive-through testing:
Coronavirus tests for essential workers.
Home testing
Home test kits can be delivered to someone’s door so they can test themselves and their family without leaving the house. Home test kit availability will be initially limited, but more will become available.
Mobile testing units
Mobile testing units are being developed. They will operate out of a regional testing site and travel to offer tests where they are needed.
Satellite centres
NHS capability is being increased by providing test kits directly to ‘satellite’ centres at places like hospitals that have a particularly urgent or significant need.
NHS facilities
Testing within an NHS facility such as a hospital is available for patients and some NHS workers.
Across all these testing methods, there is a network of couriers who collect the completed samples and deliver them safely to one of our laboratories. The swab samples are analysed at our labs and the result is communicated back to the individual.
The aim is to return test results within 48 hours of a swab being taken, or within 72 hours for a home test.
List of essential workers and those prioritised for testing (England only)
• all NHS and social care staff, including:
• doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, care workers, and other frontline health and social care staff including volunteers
• the support and specialist staff required to maintain the UK’s health and social care sector
• those working as part of the health and social care supply chain, including producers and distributors of medicines, and medical and personal protective equipment
• essential public services staff, including:
• prisons, probation, courts and tribunals staff, judiciary
• religious staff
• charities and workers delivering critical frontline services
• those responsible for the management of the deceased
• journalists and broadcasters covering coronavirus or providing public service broadcasting
• public safety and national security staff, including:
• police and support staff
• Ministry of Defence civilians, contractors and armed forces personnel (those critical to the delivery of critical defence and national security outputs and critical to the response to the coronavirus pandemic)
• fire and rescue service employees (including support staff),
• National Crime Agency staff, those maintaining border security, prison and probation staff and other national security roles, including those overseas
• Transport workers, including:
• those who keep the air, water, road and rail passenger and freight transport modes operating during the coronavirus response
• those working on transport systems through which supply chains pass
• education and childcare workers, including:
• support and teaching staff
• social workers
• specialist education professionals
• critical personnel in the production and distribution of food, drink and essential goods, including:
• those involved in food production, processing, distribution, sale and delivery
• those critical to the provision of other essential goods, such as medical supply chain and distribution workers, including veterinary medicine
• workers critical to the continuity of essential movement of goods
• local and national government staff critical to the effective delivery of the coronavirus response, or delivering essential public services, such as the payment of benefits
• public and environmental health staff, including in government agencies and arm’s length bodies
• frontline local authority staff, including those working with vulnerable children and adults, with victims of domestic abuse, and with the homeless and rough sleepers
• utilities, communication and financial services staff, including:
• staff needed for essential financial services provision (including but not limited to workers in banks, building societies and financial market infrastructure)
• the oil, gas, electricity and water sectors (including sewerage)
• information technology and data infrastructure sector and primary industry supplies to continue during the coronavirus response
• essential staff working in the civil nuclear, chemicals, telecommunications (including but not limited to network operations, field engineering, call centre staff, IT and data infrastructure, 999 and 111 essential services), postal services and delivery, payments providers and waste disposal sectors