A Covid-19 testing site in Wolverhampton will start accepting walk-ins from Friday (August 7).

The Showell Road site off Stafford Road had previously been used for pre-booked drive-through tests only.

It will now also be open as a walk-in site as part of efforts by City of Wolverhampton Council to make testing more accessible.

John Denley, Wolverhampton's Director of Public Health, said: "Although we encourage people to book appointments for Covid testing, we want to make it as simple as possible for people to get tested.

“The steady increase in cases in recent weeks shows us that coronavirus is prevalent in Wolverhampton. Increasing testing will help tackle the spread of the virus.

"The message remains that if you have got symptoms – no matter how mild – you simply must get a test.”

Coronavirus symptoms are a high temperature, a new and continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Showell Road will accept walk-ins for the first time between 2pm and 5pm on Friday, August 7. It will open between 10am and 5pm on Saturday, August 8. It will then be open between 8am and 8pm, seven days a week.

The swab test is free, takes less than a minute and results are delivered the following day. To book a test visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace and will be asked to share information about people that have been close contacts recently.

If NHS Test and Trace ask you to self-isolate due to contact with a person who has coronavirus, you should stay home and not attend the test centre, unless you then develop symptoms yourself.

People can also use the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust's Ask A&E tool at http://rwt.nhs.uk/askaande/ to input and monitor their symptoms and speak to a healthcare professional via video chat if required.

The latest information and guidance around coronavirus is available at www.gov.uk/coronavirus and on the council’s own coronavirus pages at www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/coronavirus. There’s lots of advice on how people can protect themselves and their families from coronavirus from the NHS at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus.

The council’s Stay Safe, Be Kind campaign offers clear and simple advice about how people can help themselves, and how they can support others who may be particularly vulnerable at this time. For more information, please visit www.wolverhampton.gov.uk/stay-safe-be-kind.