Coronavirus: Isle of Wight to get permanent virus testing centre

To date testing on the island has been via a mobile testing station

A permanent coronavirus testing centre will open at a leisure centre car park on the Isle of Wight.

The centre at 1Leisure Medina, Newport, will be open to anyone with symptoms who is over 65, or has to leave home to go to work, and their households.

Run by NHS staff, it is expected to open on Saturday morning and can be used by people in cars or on foot.

It has the capacity to carry out 200 tests a day. Those eligible will need to book appointments.

Currently testing on the island has been via a mobile testing station which rotated across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

There have been 104 confirmed number of cases of Covid-19 on the Isle of Wight out of a population of 141,538.

Travel to the island is currently limited, with ferry sailings running to and from the mainland only for those needing to travel for essential reasons.

Drive-through coronavirus testing sites are also open in Tipner, Portsmouth and in Poole on the former park-and-ride facility at Creekmoor.

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