As England prepare to take on Denmark in their crunch Euro 2020 semi-final tonight, Kent County Council (KCC) is encouraging as many people as possible to get tested before, and after, meeting their friends and family to watch the match.
KCC Cabinet Member for Public Health Clair Bell said: “We are all really excited to watch England versus Denmark and after a tough year it’s great to have a sporting occasion like this to lift everyone’s spirits.
“However, gathering with lots of people we haven’t been around for a long time does increase the risk of catching COVID-19 and we must remember to keep protecting our loved ones as much as possible.
“Our advice is to get a test regularly, go to your local pharmacy, order home test kits or visit one of our testing stations in Maidstone and Ashford that will be open 9am-7pm today.
“By testing regularly we can ensure we stay on top of case numbers that continue to rise across the county. It also reduces the pressure on our NHS services at a time when they are so busy treating as many non-COVID patients as possible and resuming routine surgeries and appointments as quickly as they can.
“I urge everyone to enjoy the game, but be responsible, wear a mask, keep your distance and make sure it’s football coming home, not Coronavirus.”
“Testing is so important” – Dr Allison Duggal
Kent Interim Director of Public Health Allison Duggal reiterated: “Testing is so important. It gives us a real understanding about what is happening in communities, and immediately allows us to get ahead of any outbreaks or clusters that we see and to take action to isolate those cases.
“That is what we have been doing and what we will continue to do.”
Anyone who currently has symptoms of coronavirus – high temperature, a new or continuous cough, a loss or change in taste or smell – should book a test by visiting the GOV.UK website here
To find out more details about symptom free testing go to KCC’s website here.
Most community pharmacies in Kent have joined the collect scheme for COVID-19 tests.
For more information on where to get lateral flow tests, including community pharmacies, please click the Test and Trace website here