Fife plans more COVID test centres in bid to combat spread of virus

Despite the roll-out of the vaccination among the Kingdom's more vulnerable denizens NHS Fife public health director Dona Milne says testing remains a "key part" of the region's public protection strategy.

This is because, while the evidence is clear that the various vaccines produced are effective at stopping the effects of Covid-19, the jury is out on whether they halt transmission of the virus to others.

Asymptomatic Covid also continues to post a threat. While some people can carry the virus with no noticeable illness, there is a risk they can pass it onto someone more vulnerable to its effects.

Fife, along with Grampian, is one of two health board areas in Scotland that are piloting the communiting testing scheme.

Ms Milne said: "We are trying to increase our testing capacity and a key part of that is improving availability in our communities.

"Whilst the vaccination programme is being rolled out and will provide some degree of protection we don't yet know how much protection the vaccine will give us in terms of tramission.

"So we still need to follow all the other public health advice - testing is still a key part of our strategy along with contact tracing."

https://www.fifetoday.co.uk/news/people/25000-first-covid-vaccinations-completed-fife-3114965

Fife has three public test centres: a fixed site at St Andrews Victory Memorial hall and two mobile testing units in Glenrothes and Dunfermline.

The health board is replacing the mobile sites with fixed destinations that offer greater capacity. These are at Glenrothes' Miners Charitable Society and Dunfermline's Dell Farquarharson Leisure Centre - with an additional centre also being created at the Glebe Park Centre in Kirkcaldy.

Asymptomatic testing will be ready as early as next week, Ms Milne said, targeting areas which have low uptake of existing testing and high levels of vulnerability in its population. This will involve the use of a 'lateral flow' test which detects Covid-19 within 15 minutes of a test being done.

For those who test positive, support will be available at these centres to provide food and medicine collection services in order to keep those who should be isolating at home.

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