A new Covid testing centre will open next week as two sites are closed and a third is scaled back across Medway.

The test venues at Rochester Cathedral and Medway Park will shut on March 31.

Symptom-free testing will continue through the Towns with Medway Council opening a new site at Mid Kent College in Gillingham.

The college centre will add to the existing sites at Chattenden Community Centre in Hoo and The Oast in Rainham but the Deep End centre located on the Chatham Maritime university campus will be reduced to limited opening hours, the council announced today.

Public health officials at the council say it is still vital for members of the public to regularly book tests every two weeks as national lockdown rules are eased back.

One in three people infected with coronavirus do not show symptoms meaning it is vital people take tests to ensure they are taking precautions to protect their community with the roadmap releasing restrictions over the coming months.

New mobile testing teams will be hitting the roads to take testing into communities where people find it more difficult to access testing facilities.

Infection rates in Medway are down to 32 per 100,000 as new weekly cases (89 in the seven days to March 18) dipped under the 100-mark for the first time this week since last summer.

Vaccination rates in the county have slowed in the past two weeks with just under 55,000 people receiving their first jab in the week ending March 14.

A fortnight earlier, 72,730 people had been given their first vaccine dose.

In Medway, 43% of the adult population (91,361) had been given a jab in the week leading to March 14. New data is published every Thursday.

Since asymptomatic testing launched in Medway in December, more than 118,000 tests have been carried out with 1,297 (1.1%) people testing positive for Covid who were not aware they had the virus.

Anyone testing positive must self-isolate immediately for a minimum of 10 days.

A plan to introduce a home test collection service is being discussed by the council and Department of Health and Social Care from April 6.

School pupils and teaching staff are also being encouraged to regularly test themselves in line with government guidance and schools will be provided with testing kits.

Parents, carers and relatives of schoolchildren of all ages as well as residents in childcare and support bubbles are being urged to take tests either at home or in a community centre twice a week.

James Williams, director of public health for Medway Council, said: “Symptom-free testing is an important tool to help reduce the spread of coronavirus across Medway.

"I would encourage residents to continue to book tests regularly. Medway’s infection rate remains below the national average and it’s vital that we keep it that way."

Medway Council leader Cllr Alan Jarrett said: “We are all looking forward to getting back to the things we love when it is safe to do so but we must not be complacent.

"It is vital that we all continue to follow the latest government advice and continue to follow social distancing guidelines.”

Book a symptom-free coronavirus test at medway.gov.uk/symptomfreetesting

For those experiencing symptoms access a test through the national programme at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119.

For the latest coronavirus news and advice, click here.

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