Smart Covid testing proving a big hit across Fylde coast

A series of specially set-up hubs have been opened in Fylde, Wyre and across Blackpool to allow those workers leaving home for work to receive a rapid Covid-19 test result in 30 minutes.

The Blackpool hubs, set up by the council’s public health team and facilitated by health services provider FCMS, are carrying out more than 1,000 tests per week on average.

Along with workplace rapid testing, which has been set up at schools and local businesses, almost 4000 staff who need to leave home to work are now being tested in Blackpool each week.

Meanwhile, a leading employer was one of the first companies to agree to regular testing for its staff at one of four Smart testing sites across the Fylde Council borough.

Trilanco, a specialist equine, pet and agricultural products wholesaler based at Mill Farm Sports Village in Wesham employs 110 people with approximately half of them working at its Covid-secure headquarters.

Employees who regularly attend the site, mostly in the warehousing facilities, are tested every Monday at the Smart testing centre located in the neighbouring AFC Fylde Education Centre.

David Lee​, chief operating officer at Trilanco, said: “Being an early adopter of the SMART testing has really helped improve staff morale and shows our employees’ health and wellbeing is being given top priority.

“The reassurance that we haven’t got Covid in the team is huge especially for colleagues in high risk groups or who have family members at higher risk."

The testing hubs are using lateral flow tests which are quick to use and give rapid results in 30 minutes.

Key workers include taxi drivers and supermarket staff and they do not have to book in for an asymptomatic test at the hubs, but simply turn up to their nearest testing session.

Dr. Arif Rajpura, Director of Public Health at Blackpool Council said: “I am delighted that so many workers in Blackpool who are having to leave home to go to work at the moment have accessed testing at the new hubs we have set up.

“Getting regularly tested not only gives workers and their families peace of mind, but it will also help to stop the spread of COVID-19 to the most vulnerable in our community, who are most at risk from coronavirus.

“Around one in three people have no symptoms when they have coronavirus. That’s a huge number of people who could still be going out into the community and unknowingly spreading the virus.

“We hope that by making asymptomatic testing easily available to those still going out to work, that we can break the chain of transmission swiftly, and effectively save lives because of it.”

Richard Hurt, Health Protection Practitioner at Fylde Council, said: “We are delighted that Trilanco has been one of the Smart testing early adopters, giving the staff and the management team the peace of mind that their team is not asymptomatically spreading the virus.”

In Wyre, a lateral flow testing centre has been set up at Thornton's YMCA Leisure Centre in Victoria Road East, open Mondays to Fridays from 9am to 4.30pm.

Coun David Henderson, leader of Wyre Council, said: "We’re inviting anyone who has to leave home to work, to get tested at least once a week to help stop the spread of coronavirus.

"The centre, open for anyone who is self-employed or who works for a business not currently offering testing, is a pilot for Wyre and if it proves to be successful we will look at how we can offer the testing at other sites in the borough.”

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