How you can pick up Covid home test kits if you are in regular contact with a child at school or college student in Harborough

If you are in regular contact with a child at school or college student you can now pick up Covid home test kits from a Leicestershire community testing centre.

The county council is one of only a handful of local authorities across the country to pilot a Government scheme offering people another way of accessing rapid lateral flow tests.

An initial batch of around 2,500 boxes –around 18,000 test kits – is available to parents, carers, grandparents or those regularly in contact with a child.

They can be picked up at the community testing centre in Blaby.

The kits are already available from coronavirus test centres and some employers and can be ordered online too from the Government website.

Council leader, Cllr Nick Rushton, said: “I’m pleased that the Government has chosen Leicestershire to pilot this new initiative.

“Our community testing centres are working well.

“They are enabling our key workers to remain on the front line and curbing the spread of the virus.

“And in Blaby initially, we’re expanding them to give people another option to collect home test kits.”

He added: “Local government has played a big role in managing the pandemic and I’m pleased we’re leading the way in another national roll out.”

People wanting to collect kits need to book a slot.

This will include a run-through of how to use the tests: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/covidtestFind coronavirus test centres or order online from the Government website: www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-testsThe community testing centre is one of seven across the county and is for key workers, or anyone else who can’t work from home, who don’t have symptoms and aren’t already isolating.

Depending on the national pilot and delivery of kits, it may be rolled out to other community test centres.

Residents are reminded that if they have coronavirus symptoms they will need to isolate immediately and book an NHS test at www.nhs.uk or by calling 119.

Keep up to date by following the council’s Twitter and Facebook pages - both @LeicsCountyHall - or visiting the council’s website for the latest news.