IKEA in Gateshead will be used as a coronavirus testing centre for frontline NHS staff, the company has confirmed.
The store's car park is to open as a drive-through Covid-19 testing facility from Thursday (April 9).
An IKEA spokeswoman said: ”We can confirm that a test centre for NHS staff will open in the car park of IKEA Gateshead on Thursday 9th April.
“We are enormously proud of the NHS and proud to support them and the government in this small way. We will continue to support them in the best way we can."
The Gateshead store, on Pinetree Way, is the latest to host NHS test centres in its car park after the Swedish furniture giant's flagship store in Wembley was first announced on March 31.
The Swedish retailer said it was working alongside the government to identify any additional IKEA sites which could be use to help the fight against coronavirus.
A spokeswoman added: "Prioritising those leading relief efforts and the needs of high-risk groups, we are also working on additional plans together with the NHS, the Red Cross and our charity partners Barnardo’s and Breaking Barriers to support our communities, both now and in the longer-term."
It comes after a further 38 people in the North East died from coronavirus as the UK's death toll surpassed 6,000.
A total of 758 deaths were recorded across England between 5pm on Sunday and 5pm on Monday.
Official figures released by Public Health England and the NHS on Tuesday, April 7 confirmed 55,242 people had tested positive for Covid-19 in the UK.
