The first private drive-through testing centre for coronavirus has opened in Wales. The service will run from Cardiff City Stadium offering residents and international passengers the chance to test for Covid-19 from £80.
Run in partnership with Cardiff City FC, the facility offers PCR swab tests for £80 for travel passengers and £99 for the test-only service. Results will be emailed or texted to customers the next day, while those flying abroad will be issued a Fit to Fly certificate authorised by a doctor along with their test result.
The testing site, run by Express Test, is open for bookings from Wednesday, with tests available on the same day. Customers will then be sent a QR code which they must bring with them to their appointment along with their passport.
It is hoped the facility will be used by those who do not have symptoms and who don't qualify for NHS emergency testing but require a negative Covid-19 test to visit family members or fly after lockdown eases.
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In total more than one million people in Wales have now received their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine, Public Health Wales said on Tuesday.
A spokesperson for Cardiff City Football Club said: “Over the course of the pandemic, Cardiff City FC has been proud to play its part in supporting the NHS and Welsh Government to help protect the people of Wales and will continue to do so for as long as is required. We’re also delighted to be partners with ExpressTest to offer this new private service that will allow people to get a COVID green light in order to fly abroad for business or to visit family members.”
Nick Markham, founder of ExpressTest, said: “We are delighted to deliver the first, private drive-through Covid-19 screening service in Wales for international passengers and members of the public.
"For the next few months and beyond, there will be a continued need for gold standard PCR testing, as well as rapid tests before you get on a flight once foreign travel and tourism is reinitiated.”
