EVERYONE over the age of 16 without Covid-19 symptoms is now being encouraged to take twice weekly lateral flow tests.

Students in secondary schools, as well as staff in primary, secondary and childcare settings, have been taking regular rapid Covid-19 tests since March. This offer of regular rapid testing has now been extended to everyone in England over the age of 16.

From Tuesday, May 4 Yate Library as well as others in South Gloucestershire will have a stock of the tests to be collected.

The council will also provide a mobile offer, launching in the first half of May, which will visit sites across the district to make testing kits available for collection and, for those who may not have taken a test before, the opportunity to have assistance from trained staff in taking a test on site. The mobile offer will visit a number of areas regularly, including rural areas such as Hawkesbury, Marshfield, Severn Beach and Pucklechurch.

A number of pharmacies across South Gloucestershire are now making testing kits available for collection and you can find details of these online at the NHS website.