Queues build as rapid walk-in Covid-19 testing centre opens in Dewsbury

Four sites were opened in Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Batley and Huddersfield at noon on Friday.

John Hodgson, 63, had waited for over an hour to make sure he was first in line at The Walsh Building, next to Dewsbury Town Hall.

He was quickly followed by a steady stream of individuals and couples all ready to do their bit to help stem the rise of infections.

John, of Dewsbury, said: “I live by myself and I want this for peace of mind. Everybody should get tested. It’s better for the town.”

Stevie Oliver, 43, who runs a community support group called Take Ten for people with mental health problems, said: “We should all take this seriously and get tested.”

She was worried about the impact of Christmas and families being allowed to meet over the festive period.

“They should have cancelled Christmas,” she said. “People will have parties, get drunk and just ignore the advice.

“We haven’t been together for six months now. Why not wait a bit longer?”

Andrew and Yvonne Brisbane, also of Dewsbury, wanted the test to “keep safe.”

Yvonne said: “There’s just the two of us for Christmas. We’ll celebrate next year.”

Using Lateral Flow Testing technology, the rapid tests are easy to administer and results come back within 30 minutes.

Kirklees Council, which is organising the testing, hopes it will identify more cases and stop the spread of the virus.

Until now, testing has only been available to people who have symptoms or if they work in certain jobs. Community testing means anyone can get a free test and play their part in keeping others safe.

With help from the military, the council has built four new testing sites and will have support from the RAF to operate them.

The other sites are at Batley Library, the Greenwood Centre in Ravensthorpe and The Hudawi Centre in Huddersfield.

Testing will operate from 8am to 8pm every day for the next few weeks. Opening times will be reduced during the festive period between December 24 and 27.

For details see www.kirklees.gov.uk/covid19communitytesting