New Covid testing centre to open tomorrow to cope with surge of cases in the north of Milton Keynes

The centre will be in Soskin Drive, Stantonbury, close to Midsummer Vets and the Webber private school.

But it will only be open for four days over a two week period and users must have booked a test in advance, says the council.

The centre was arranged by the council's public health team following a rise in local people testing positive for Covid-19.

Over the past two weeks 4,761 tests have been taken in Milton Keynes and 107 people have been confirmed positive.

A council spokesman said: "Many of these new cases have been in the north of Milton Keynes. The new drive through centre will be set up on Soskin Drive in Stantonbury in the hope that people in the area experiencing symptoms will seek a test.

Public health experts are keen to track how the virus is being passed within communities, and particularly urge people living in postcodes starting MK13 and MK14 who have Covid-19 symptoms to be tested.

However, the centre isn’t limited to people in these postcodes and any MK residents with a new continuous cough, raised temperature or change in sense of smell or taste should try to book a test on www.gov.uk or by calling 119.

The new centre will only be open to people who have booked a test in advance. Given current limits on testing capacity, only people with symptoms should book a test.

It will be open on Wednesday 7 and Friday 9 October, and Wednesday 14 and Friday 16 October.

Previously people have complained about how difficult it is to book a Covid test locally - even though the CMK drive through centre rarely seems to be full. See Citizen story here.