A temporary COVID-19 testing centre will open in Grangemouth for five days starting from Saturday 30th January until Wednesday 3rd February 2021. Its deployment is in response to an increased number of positive tests for COVID-19 in Grangemouth and the surrounding areas. The test centre will be located at Grangemouth Sports Complex, Abbots Road, Grangemouth FK3 8JB.
The testing centre is being targeted at local businesses and people who work in the Grangemouth area but is also available to anyone living in the local community even if they don’t currently have any of the common symptoms of COVID-19.
Anyone who lives or works in Grangemouth must book an appointment in advance via the GOV.UK website or by calling 0300 303 2713. Appointments will be available to book from 7pm on Friday 29th January 2021 and will then be released each evening for the following morning and in the morning for appointments that afternoon.
Anyone who does not have symptoms of COVID-19 should select the option ‘My local council or health protection team has asked me to get a test, even though I do not have symptoms’ when booking an appointment online. Those working in Grangemouth but living in other areas should also enter their workplace post code first to access available appointments at the Grangemouth Testing Unit and when later prompted for personal details should then enter their home address, postcode and contact details to ensure the results are sent to them direct.
The national appointment system will offer the closest available test centre which should be the mobile testing centre within Grangemouth if appointments are available. Once sessions are fully booked the testing centre will not appear online as a venue option or be available for call handlers to book however new appointments are released each morning and evening so if the Grangemouth venue does not appear as an option please check online or call back later.
If you have no COVID-19 symptoms it is safe to try again later when more appointments will come on line however if you have symptoms you can book an appointment at other testing venues.
Pre-booked appointments will be available between 9:30am and 6pm on either a walk through or drive through basis. People are asked not to turn up at the testing centre without booking an appointment in advance. Anyone attending should also wear a face mask or covering and observe the rules on physical distancing by staying at least two metres apart.
Dr Graham Foster said “Many people travel to work in Grangemouth and may not have the opportunity to get tested near their home. We hope that having this temporary test centre based locally will enable many employees of local businesses in the area to get tested to ensure they are not affected and to help prevent people who may not have symptoms from spreading the virus to friends, family or colleagues.
“We also want to encourage people in the local community, especially those who have symptoms of COVID-19 or who are living with someone who has symptoms, to get tested over the next few days. The more positive cases we are able to identify the quicker we can drive down the virus, bring this pandemic under control and get out of lockdown.”
Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, Leader of Falkirk Council said: “This is a precautionary measure as Grangemouth has such a significant role in both the local and national economy, so it is important to prevent the spread of the virus in the workforce.
“We are urging businesses in the area to ensure that employees can be tested so we can continue to prevent the spread of the virus and protect the NHS.”
The test centre will be run by the Scottish Ambulance Service on behalf of NHS Forth Valley and Falkirk Council in partnership with Falkirk Community Trust.