Coronavirus: Symptom-Free Testing Available To All Sussex Residents

Anyone over the age of 18 in Sussex who leaves home for work or caring responsibilities can now book a symptom-free Covid-19 test.

Local testing is ramping up to help identify as many people as possible who have Covid-19 but not the symptoms.

The pan-Sussex Community Testing Programme launches this week as a partnership between West Sussex County Council, East Sussex County Council and Brighton & Hove City Council.

It offers free, rapid lateral flow tests to anyone who isn’t showing signs of Covid-19, who can’t work from home and who can’t access testing via other means.

Anyone over the age of 18 can book a test at a participating pharmacy anywhere in Sussex, or at one of two dedicated testing sites, one at the Moulsecoomb Leisure Centre in Brighton and one at Hove Town Hall.

Further details, including how to book, are available on the following websites:

• East Sussex https://www.eastsussex.gov.uk/communitytesting
• West Sussex  www.westsussex.gov.uk/communitytesting 
• Brighton and Hove https://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/communitytesting

Alistair Hill, Director of Public Health at Brighton & Hove City Council said:

“Thank you as always for all your personal efforts to stop the spread of Covid-19.

“Alongside vaccinations and the hands, face, space guidance, symptom free testing is an important step towards to beating this.

“If everyone who needs to leave home to work or help others takes regular symptom-free tests, we can more quickly identify who’s got the virus and take immediate action to stop the spread.

“Working with our partners to offer the programme across the whole of Sussex will make testing more convenient for residents. You should be able to find somewhere that’s close to either where you live or work so that you can do it on your way."

Darrell Gale, Director of Public Health at East Sussex said:

“With one in three people with Covid-19 experiencing no symptoms, this kind of testing will play an important role in helping us to stop the spread of the virus.

“Continuing to follow the current guidelines is vital, but symptom-free testing can show whether an individual needs to self-isolate and whether their contacts need to be traced. The faster we can identify those with the virus, the better chance we have of limiting the spread.

“We are pleased to have been able to work with Brighton & Hove and West Sussex councils as it has allowed us to maximise the access our residents have to tests while we work to get more pharmacies on board.”

Dr Tony Hill, Interim Director of Public Health at West Sussex County Council, said:

“We know that around one in three people with Covid-19 don’t have any symptoms, so you could be passing the virus on even if you’re feeling fine.

“Symptom-free testing is an additional tool in the fight against the pandemic and keeping West Sussex safe. It will help us to identify more people who have the virus and encourage them and their contacts to self-isolate in order to further protect our friends, families, colleagues and communities. This form of testing is especially important if you have to leave home for work, and you’re unable to access testing by other means.”

More pharmacies will be available across Sussex in the coming weeks, making it even easier to get a test close to where you live or work.