Ballymoney Covid test sites needed

Members of Causeway Coast & Glens Borough Council’s Corporate Policy and Resource Committee will be asked to approve a suitable site within Ballymoney for Local (LTS) or Mobile (MTS) Test Sites for the Covid National Testing Programme at their meeting this week.
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The council has been approached by the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC) and Public Health Agency (PHA) for the provision of test sites for the detection of Covid-19 cases which are expected to be active for a six to nine-month period with exceptions considered.

A Local Test Site (LTS) is a small test site set up to serve potentially more vulnerable people who may only be able to access a test site by walking locally or require a more in-depth and guided approach in taking a test.

Two sites in Ballymoney have been identified as meeting the necessary requirements.

These are the car park in Market Street, Ballymoney and the car park, between Riada Stadium and hockey pitches, Joey Dunlop Leisure Centre.

The Local Testing Site  (LTS) will comprise of a self-contained unit with power, utilities, and staff welfare accommodation which will be housed in marquees.

The site which will be operational from 8am to 8pm, will be fenced off and be provided with 24-hour security.

Due to the medium to long-term use for an LTS site a lease will be sought.

The Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) has an agile capability which allows temporary testing to be set up quickly to serve communities on a rolling basis. 

Several MTU’s have already been deployed in locations where clusters have been identified to assist in the testing of the local community and have remained on-site for between two and four weeks, depending on need.

The Corporate Policy and Resource Committee of the council will meet tonight (Tuesday, May 25) to discuss the matter.

There is currently a walk-though test site at a car park at Ulster University’s Coleraine campus.

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