Pop-up Covid-19 testing in parks and other 'hyper-local' venues is being launched in Stoke-on-Trent – as a number of community testing venues are closed down.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has been offering rapid lateral flow testing at a number of sites across the city in recent months, but demand is now waning, partly due to people using self-testing kits at home instead.

Onsite testing at Northwood Stadium and Florence Sports and Social Club will be cut by 50 per cent, while the facility at City Centre Mosque will close.

But a new programme of 'enhanced community testing' at pop-up venues still start next week, and continue until the end of June.

Staff from Midlands Partnership Foundation Trust will be on hand to carry out rapid tests, and park visitors will also be able to pick up home test kits.

The first sessions will take place at Hanley Park, around the bandstand and pavilion, next Tuesday and Wednesday, between 2pm and 6pm.

The council says the service is not being introduced in response to potential outbreaks, but rather to make testing for asymptomatic people more accessible.

Onsite testing is ending at Northwood Stadium

Council leader Abi Brown said: "We're making these changes to adapt to the way people are engaging with the testing system. We've seen that the Community Collect service has been very popular since it was introduced, while the demand on the community testing centres has now started to drop off.

"We'll be closing some of the community testing venues, partly because the services which use those sites are now starting to come back with the easing of lockdown restrictions.

"But we also want to move testing to sites where we know people are likely to be, such as the bandstand and pavilion at Hanley Park. People will be able to just turn up and get tested.

"Stoke-on-Trent still has one of the highest, if not the highest testing rate in the West Midlands. Last week we had more than 31,000 tests carried out in the city, including both the PCR and lateral flow tests, which is still quite close to the peak of 40,000 we saw earlier.

"With these changes we're making we're hoping we can maintain that high level of testing."

The times and locations of further pop-up sessions will be announced in the week before they take place.

Mrs Brown said the council would review its community testing arrangements again at the end of June.

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Residents who do not have coronavirus symptoms can still book slots at the remaining community testing venues by visiting www.stoke.gov.uk/bookacovid19test.

Anyone with symptoms should still book a test through the national system by visiting https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or calling 119.

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