How to get tested if you do not have symptoms of coronavirus
Information from the Department of Health and Social Care:
- Twice-weekly testing using lateral flow tests will be extended to the full households with primary, secondary and college age children and young people, including childcare and support bubbles to help find more Covid-19 cases and break chains of transmission.
- Under the new system, all households with primary and secondary school and college age children, and childcare and support bubbles, will be encouraged to start regular twice-weekly testing from March 8 with tests available for adults in these household to collect on 1 March. As with student testing, this is encouraged but not mandatory.
Regional and Local Test Sites offering the community collect service will have the following operating times:
- PCR Test Sites will accept customers with bookings for symptomatic PCR tests made via the portal up until midday (1200hrs)
- The Lateral Flow Devices collection window at PCR Test Sites will be between 1330 - 1900
A secondary PCR test will be required for positive lateral flow tests which are taken at home, either through at home PCR testing or at a local PCR testing site.
For more information, including details of local collection arrangements, visit
