New Covid-19 testing site opens in Rainham

The site is the first in the borough to be completely run by Havering Council staff (credit: Havering Council)

A new community Covid-19 testing site has opened in Rainham, providing rapid lateral flow tests for people who do not have coronavirus symptoms.

The service, which is the first to be completely run by Havering Council staff, opened for drop-in tests from the afternoon of Thursday, 4 March. Bookable appointments are available from the morning of Friday, 5 March.

The new site is based within a retail unit directly opposite Rainham station, in contrast to the five other rapid Covid-19 testing sites set up by the Council, which are located in libraries across Havering.

Havering Council says it will continue to identify possible new sites to make sure people in the borough have easy access to a Covid-19 testing site, with services continuing while the country begins to open up from lockdown.

Leader of Havering Council, Councillor Damian White, said: “Havering is once again leading the way in helping the community by providing local COVID-19 testing to those who cannot work from home. I am pleased that we are also able to give new life to a long-disused commercial space in the south of the borough.

“Rainham has a strong industrial and business sector, many of which have been able to stay open during this crisis, with employees taking extra precautions to keep the business and local economy going.

“With a new site right on their doorstep, I’m urging all local business owners and employers to work with their staff and allow them time to get regular, twice-weekly tests to help keep the virus at bay.”

For more on this story, and the latest on our other local and national news, listen to Time 107.5FM