Dr Allison Duggal, Kent’s interim Director of Public Health
Kent’s interim Director of Public Health, Allison Duggal, has thanked residents across the county for continuing to test themselves regularly for COVID-19 and supporting the county’s road map out of lockdown.
“I cannot thank the residents of Kent enough for their part in locating the virus and driving down infection rates through regular testing,” said Allison Duggal.
“Home testing, with testing kits available both at pharmacies and online, has been extremely popular. It’s quick and easy to do and so it’s not surprising that many residents of Kent have now made regular home testing part of their weekly routine.
“As we start to get out and socialise more, it is so important that everyone keeps testing, testing, testing to identify any positive cases and continue to prevent the spread of the virus.
“Please remember to register your test result online so we receive a record of how many people are taking tests and thank you again for your continued efforts to keep everyone safe.”
With home tests more readily available across Kent, testing sites will be maintained in Maidstone and Ashford from the 1st July for those that prefer to attend a testing centre.
The testing sites at Sandwich and Sheerness will be closing down on the 25th June and all other sites, except for Maidstone (Sessions House, County Hall, Maidstone ME14 1XQ) and Ashford (Unit 1 Eurogate Business Park, Thomson Road, Ashford TN24 8XW), will close on the 30th June.
From Thursday 1st July the sites in Maidstone and Ashford will increase their operating hours as follows:
- Monday – 9am-2pm
- Tuesday – 9am-2pm
- Wednesday – 2pm-7pm
- Thursday – 9am-2pm
- Friday – 9am – 7pm
- Saturday – 9am – 2pm
- Sunday – 9am – 7pm
To find out more details on how to book a test or access home testing please go to our website here.
If you are experiencing any of the COVID-19 symptoms – high temperature, a new or continuous cough, a loss or change in taste or smell – you should NOT visit a symptom free testing site and continue to self-isolate.
You can book a test by visiting the gov.uk website https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.