Published Friday 4 June 2021 at 10:35
The borough’s Youth MPs are supporting a reminder from Blackburn with Darwen Council to all residents to ‘Test and Go’ by taking up the local offer of free, regular, rapid coronavirus testing.
The Council is encouraging residents to participate in rapid testing – either at home or at one of the borough’s rapid test centres – as we continue to move forward through the Government’s roadmap for lockdown easing.
People are asked to ‘Test and Go’ before meeting up with friends, family and visiting the shops, hairdressers or restaurants and pubs. This will help keep you, your friends, family and local community safe.
The call on rapid testing comes alongside the current push on PCR surge testing happening in specific postcodes around the borough.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Youth MP, Mohammed Bapu, tells residents he is looking forward to playing football with his friends this weekend, but will ‘Test and Go’ beforehand to keep himself and friends safe.
Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council Deputy Youth MP, Zainab Dassu, is looking forward to meeting her friends at the cinema again – but will be doing a quick and easy lateral flow test beforehand!
And to help with the push on rapid testing two of the borough’s rapid testing centres have extended their opening hours.
From Saturday 5th June – Friday 25th June, the Blackburn town centre and Darwen town centre sites will operate:
- King George’s Hall, Blackburn: 8am – 5pm (Mon to Sat).
- Work at Over Darwen House, BB3 2RG: 8am – 5pm (Mon to Fri).
The new times make the sites perfect for anyone popping out to do some shopping, or working in the area!
The rapid testing site at Ewood Park remains open 8am – 3pm, Mon to Fri.
You can also get rapid tests:
- Online via the national delivery service
- Community Collect at any of the borough’s rapid or symptomatic test centres
- Via participating local pharmacies.
Unfortunately, Blackburn with Darwen has now taken the top spot in the national table of areas with the most Covid cases.
Latest data indicates that the highest transmission rates of Covid and the new variant is in the 12-18-year-old age group.
As rates of Covid cases rise across Blackburn with Darwen, everyone who lives, works or studies in areas with BB1 and BB2 postcodes are strongly encouraged to also take a COVID-19 PCR test, as well as continuing to ‘Test & Go’, to help track the spread of the latest variant. More information: https://theshuttle.org.uk/residents-urged-take-a-test-to-help-stop-variant-spread/
Surge testing engagement teams from the Council are knocking on doors in some areas of Blackburn to hand out PCR test kits and encourage residents to take tests at home. More information: https://theshuttle.org.uk/surge-testing-to-be-stepped-up-across-blackburn/