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Daily Record
Daily Record
National
Stuart Wilson

Prestwick Airport to host new mobile coronavirus testing unit

A new mobile coronavirus testing unit has been introduced at Prestwick Airport.

The site is be one of 14 being rolled out by the Scottish Government as part of a huge expansion in testing capabilities.

Over-65s with symptoms will now be able to request a test.

And people of all ages who need to work, but cannot do so from home, will also be able to book in for a test should they be showing symptoms.

The households of both groups will also now be eligible.

Testing will also be ramped up in care homes, with all residents and staff at locations where someone has been infected with Covid-19 being tested - whether or not they have symptoms.

And where staff work for a chain of homes and have to move between sites, then all homes will be tested.

Sample testing will also take place in care homes without cases of the virus.

Five regional drive-through test sites in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Inverness and Perth will undertake much of the work.

But Army-run mobile test sites, of which Prestwick is one, will also support the effort.

Motherwell, Dunoon, Stranraer, Galashiels, Peterhead and Elgin are among the other sites being rolled out.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said: “At the start of this outbreak, only two laboratories in Scotland carried out tests.

"Now there are labs at all 14 health boards, we have exceeded our target to test 3500 samples a day in the NHS and, working with the Lighthouse Lab at Glasgow University, capacity for testing in Scotland has now reached 8323 and is on track to expand further this month.

“Given that our capacity has now expanded significantly, that means we can further extend eligibility for testing.”

To book a test, visit https://self-referral.test-for-coronavirus.service.gov.uk/

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