People with no symptoms who want to get tested when Covid surge testing begins in a part of Norfolk tomorrow have been urged to hold off before booking appointments.
Public health bosses want everybody aged 16 or over in Diss and Roydon to urgently get tested - even if they have no symptoms.
That is because of concerns after cases of the South African variant of coronavirus were found in the area.
Letters have been sent to thousands of homes encouraging people to get tested, with three mobile testing units to be set up in Diss and Roydon from Friday (February 19).
But Norfolk County Council has urged people to not book tests until later tonight, when the national government website will begin taking the bookings for the Diss and Roydon sites.
People trying to book through the website at the moment are not able to request those sites, but that will be possible after 8pm.
The mobile testing sites will begin operating tomorrow, as follows:
Diss Youth and Community Centre, in Shelfhanger Road, will run testing from 9am to 3pm from Friday until Thursday, February 25.
Diss Leisure Centre, in Victoria Road will do testing from 9am until 3pm from Friday until Thursday, March 4.
And Roydon Village Hall, in the High Road, will offer tests between 12pm and 6pm from Friday until Thursday, March 4.
People need to book tests at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test from 8pm tonight.
People who do not have COVID symptoms should click ‘yes’ when asked ‘is the person who needs a test part of a trial or government project?’ and then select ‘taking part in community testing’
People who do have COVID symptoms should follow the instructions on the website and then choose one of the mobile testing sites.
They should drive to the testing centre if they can, but if they cannot. they should call 01508 533 933 to have a test kit dropped off at their home.
From Friday, people can also pick up test kits, with no appointment needed, from Midwich Ltd, Vince's Road in Diss, between 9am and 7pm or from outside Roydon White Hart / Roydon Church from 9am to 7pm.
People unable to get to mobile testing units or to collect a testing kit to take home, can get them dropped off, while arrangements can be made for people to visit homes to help, via 01508 533933.
The council says, to protect from scams, officers will wear high visibility uniforms, with a very visible logo, PPE and visible identification.
People who are clinically extremely vulnerable have been urged not to go out to get a test. The council says test kits will be delivered to them.
The council says people who have tested positive with a PCR test in the past 90 days do not need to get another test, but anyone who has tested positive through a rapid test will need another.
The surge testing - which seeks to get people tested even if they have no coronavirus symptoms - comes after a "very small number" of South Africa variant cases of Covid-19 were found in the Diss area.
People who test positive will be told to self-isolate, with their contacts traced and told to do likewise.
The council had previously said up to 10 cases had been identified in the county, but they were linked to travel to South Africa.
And public health bosses need to establish the variant has spread into the community.
In a letter to people in Diss and Roydon, Dr Louise Smith, Norfolk's public health director, said the surge testing would help establish if the South Africa variant has spread more widely in the community.
But she said: "Overall, the number of cases in South Norfolk is falling and there is no reason for local people to be
worried by this increased testing.
"There is no evidence that this variant causes more severe illness than others."
She said "the most important thing" was to keep following guidance such as limiting contacts, washing hands often for at least 20 seconds, keeping a distance and sticking to lockdown rules.
She said: "The more cases of the variant we find, the better chance we have at containing it.
"Please help us to keep you, your loved ones and your community safe by getting tested so we can find the South Africa variant.
"Also, we know that viruses change over time and this extra testing will be used by scientists to find out more information about the genetic code of the virus in Norfolk to help us assess what action may need to be taken."
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