With the full return to school underway this week, regular at home coronavirus testing is available for free, for all households with primary, secondary and college age children and young people. This includes households in associated childcare and support bubbles, and those with school staff and adults working in the wider school community, such as supply teachers, school bus drivers, and after school club leaders.
Hampshire County Council’s Executive Member for Education and Skills, Councillor Roz Chadd, said: “Seeing everyone return to the classroom this week is an important step on the journey towards a cautious easing of lockdown restrictions and hopefully, a steady return to a more normal way of life. We know that around one in three people with coronavirus do not have symptoms but can still pass it on to others, which is why it’s crucial we support regular COVID-19 testing for individuals without symptoms, to help keep our educational settings, staff and families safe. This ensures we can detect positive cases within households quickly, break chains of infection, and prevent the virus from spreading. I urge anyone who is eligible to take part in this free, voluntary scheme, to help keep themselves and others safe and well.”
Who can use home test kits
This voluntary testing is for people who are not experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (asymptomatic), and is being offered in line with Government’s roadmap out of national restrictions.
Schools are providing self-test kits to staff at primary and secondary schools and colleges, as well as to pupils at secondary schools and college students. Primary school pupils are not being asked to test at this time, but members of their households are invited to take part in home testing, including those in their childcare and support bubbles.
The following groups can collect free asymptomatic test kits for use at home twice each week:
- Households with primary school, secondary school and college age children, including those in their childcare and support bubbles
- Households, childcare and support bubbles of primary, secondary and college staff.
- Adults working in the wider school community, including supply teachers, bus drivers and after school club leaders.
If an eligible person is unable to collect test kits to do at home, they can book an asymptomatic test at a Community Testing Site or order a home test kit online.
This asymptomatic testing scheme is expected to expand to include more groups, and further information will be shared by Government in due course.
Where to collect home test kits
If you choose to collect your tests there is no need to make an appointment, you can just go collect them. BUT only between 1pm – 8pm, 7-days a week. You will only be able to collect testing kits at these times as in the mornings they remain test sites for people with symptoms.
You will be given 2 packs of home testing kits with 7 tests in each. Anyone in your household over 18 can collect them.
The site in Andover is at Shepherds Spring Car Park.
