A new mobile testing van helping people get tested for coronavirus and handing out free rapid Covid-19 test kits will be visiting different parts of Bath and North East Somerset from next week.

The bright green van will be touring supermarkets, shopping centres, trading estates, day care centres, and various other locations for the next two months, offering supervised lateral flow testing for those without symptoms.

Around one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms and can spread the virus without knowing it – so getting tested is the only way to know if you have the virus.

People won’t need to book – they can just turn up and have a supervised test and collect lateral flow tests to take home. Trained outreach workers will be aboard the van, so people can also turn up and ask any questions they have about testing, support to self-isolate, vaccination or other COVID-19 queries.

Becky Reynolds, Director of Public Health at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “From next Monday, our fantastic new van will be going out offering help and advice to people from all over Bath and North East Somerset. This is a chance to reach out to even more residents than we have done before, in particular those in more rural areas and those unable to travel far. If you’ve never had a test or you aren’t sure how to do it correctly, look out for the van in your area. Our team of trained advisors will be pleased to help you take a test and answer your questions.”

In the first week, the van will be visiting:

Monday, 9th August:

Midsomer Norton South Road car park (9am-5pm)

Tuesday, 10th August

Radstock working men’s club/children’s centre (9am-1pm)

Prattens Sports and Social Club, Westfield, Radstock (2-5pm)

Wednesday, 11th August

Twerton High Street near the zebra crossing (9am-5pm)

Thursday, 12th August

Chew Magna, The Pelican Car Park (9am-5pm)

Friday, 13th August

Midsomer Norton Orchard Community Hall (9am-1pm)

Peasedown St John Red Post Inn (2-5pm)

Saturday, 14th August:

Keynsham, Ashton Way Car Park (9am-5pm)

As well as the van, the council will retain its shop on Burton Street in Bath city centre. The other two static testing stations in Midsomer Norton and Keynsham will close on 6th August.

Councillor Dine Romero, cabinet member for Children and Young People, Communities and Culture at Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “It’s really important that people continue to test regularly and our site at Burton Street in Bath remains very popular. The number of people using this facility is increasing and more positive cases are being identified as a result, so it will continue to be in place for people to get tested or for home test kit collection. But we want to reach out to even more people across the district to ensure everyone has the opportunity to learn about testing and to collect kits.”

The locations of the mobile testing van will be published in advance every week on our website: https://beta.bathnes.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19-latest-information-and-advice/rapid-lateral-flow-testing-everyone

You can also find out more about testing, where to pick up your free lateral flow test kits (https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/) or how to order test kits to be delivered to your home (https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests).