Community Collect

Following the Government's announcement, everybody in England is now able to access two Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) per week to use at home. Residents are encouraged to get tested for Covid twice a week.

How to get a Covid test in Stoke-on-Trent

People can access get a twice-weekly tests:

• at a local Community Testing Centre
• through your employer if they are offering testing
• by collecting a home test kit from a collection point
• by ordering a home test kit online

Community testing 

Anyone without symptoms can also book a regular test at one of Stoke-on-Trent's community testing centres at www.stoke.gov.uk/bookacovid19test. Walk ins are welcome.

Testing at these sites is assisted, which means you will swab yourself under the supervision of a trained operator. 

Community collect

People will be able to collect tests to use at home from 11 community testing venues. After having a test done on site with a trained member of staff to explain how to do the test, people can then collect 2 boxes of 7 test kits to complete twice-weekly at home. You will not need to book to collect test kits after this but can still get a test at a community testing venue or a pharmacy offering tests. Trained staff will be on hand to show you how to use the kits. The community testing venues offering community collect in Stoke-on-Trent are:

People can also collect a home kit from Regional Test Sites (RTS) and Local Test Sites (LTS), operated by NHS Test and Trace.  Anyone aged 18 or over can collect two testing packs which contain seven tests each. The RTS sites in Stoke-on-Trent are:

• Stoke City FC (Bet 365 Stadium)
• Synectics Solutions Ltd (beside Port Vale FC)
• Fenton Manor Sports Complex

These three main sites now only offer PCR tests between 8am - 1:30pm. If residents need a PCR test after 2:30pm due to developing coronavirus symptoms then you can still order a PCR test to do at home or book an appointment for the following day.  You can also check where your nearest one is at find out where your nearest government testing site is. Please note the sites will say "closed" on the website until they open for collections.

People with symptoms should not attend and instead book a test at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Ordering a home test kit

You can order test kit online. This should only be done if you can't book a communty test or are unable to collect from the national centres.

Get a test through your employer 

Your workplace may offer rapid lateral flow testing to you. Contact your employer to find out more.  

What twice-weekly testing involves

You will be asked to:   

• take a test twice a week (every 3 or 4 days apart)  
• report every result to NHS Test and Trace on the same day you take the test  
• Report your test result online or by calling 119.   

If anyone tests positive or gets coronavirus symptoms, they should tell the school and: self-isolate immediately, get a PCR test to confirm the result and follow the stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection.  

A negative result means the test did not find signs of coronavirus. But this does not guarantee you do not have coronavirus, so you should keep following all coronavirus advice including regular handwashing and social distancing.