The trial period is expected to last for around 10 days.
From today (Monday 30 November), a number of test centres will begin to be rolled out across the city of Glasgow and residents in five of the coronavirus hotspots will be encouraged to go and get tested. This mass coronavirus testing in Scottish cities such as Glasgow is being carried out in an aim to trace the virus more effectively and hopefully allow Glasgow to move down to a lower tier from the highest restrictions under Level 4.
In Glasgow, residents in Dalmarnock and parts of Pollokshields are being encouraged to book a test if they do not have Covid symptoms as part of the mass testing programme. Two sites will open their doors from 9am today until 6pm, and open everyday until Wednesday 9 December and each site will be able to test up to 800 people a day. However, these two testing sites should only be attended by people who are not displaying symptoms.
Two walk-through testing centres have opened in Glasgow and Cumbernauld.
There are now 16 walk-through sites across Scotland.
🔎 Find the site closest to you at https://t.co/O8R0JjiWBi
If you have symptoms, book a test immediately via #TestandProtect ➡ https://t.co/Tj1JiBpxnt pic.twitter.com/7roX7KnKyv
— Scottish Government (@scotgov) November 29, 2020
The testing sites are located at the Emirates Arena car park in Dalmarnock and in the large car park on Albert Drive, opposite the Tramway Theatre in Pollokshields. The sites will be operated by the Scottish Ambulance Service and aim to deliver results within 24 to 48 hours.
Mass testing of people without symptoms comes after the scheme being launched in Liverpool earlier in November. Asymptomatic testing began on Thursday in Alloa, Clackmannanshire and has now been rolled out in Glasgow, with a drop-in testing service set to open at Johnstone town hall in Renfrewshire from Wednesday for seven days. Local residents will be offered lateral flow tests, a simple self-swab test which will give results in under an hour. The Johnstone testing site will have the capacity to test up to 12,000 people a week.
In East Ayrshire, people who live in Stewarton, Dalmellington and Bellsbank are being invited to take a test from next week. Plus, in South Ayrshire, tests will be available at the Girvan Quay Zone and at the John Pollock Centre in Ayr. The asymptomatic tests in all of the locations can be booked online by local residents.
The Scottish government also plan to roll out coronavirus testing for everyone admitted to hospital emergency departments, acute assessment centres, maternity units and emergency mental health units, as well as extending routine testing to all healthcare workers. Care home visitors and residents are all expected to be tested this month in the lead up to Christmas, and care home workers set to be included in the testing programme in January next year. Tens of thousands of students are also being encouraged to get tested before they travel back to their family homes.
If you do not have symptoms of coronavirus and are living in any of these testing areas in Scotland, book your test here. selecting “My Local Council or health protection team has asked me to get a test” as your reason for one. You can also book a test here if you are experiencing any symptoms of coronavirus.