Second coronavirus community testing site to open in Fife

Fife's second coronavirus community testing site will open on Monday.

It will be based at the Glebe Centre in Kirkcaldy.

Testing will be provided for anyone in the town with no symptoms associated with Covid-19, but who could be infectious and spreading the virus without knowing it.

The testing site will be initially open from 8am to 8pm Monday to Friday and 11am to 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, with opening times subject to change according to demand.

No appointment is needed and the public in Kirkcaldy can access testing on a drop-in basis.

There will also be the provision of confidential support to help anyone who tests positive for the virus and needs to self-isolate, with access to different financial support alongside other measures like food packages.

The opening of the new site in Kirkcaldy follows the opening of the community testing site in Cowdenbeath earlier this month.

NHS Fife Consultant in Public Health and Health Protection Clinical Lead Josie Murray said: "Along with vaccination, testing is a really important part of the overall work that’s being undertaken to tackle COVID-19.

"We all know we should get tested if we have symptoms, and it might seem odd to go for a test when you are feeling fine.

"However, we know that as many as 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 don’t have symptoms but are still infectious and able to pass the virus on to loved ones, friends and the wider community, including the most vulnerable.

"By getting tested at the Glebe Centre, you can find out if you are positive even when you don’t have symptoms and take immediate action to stop the spread of the virus to others by self-isolating.

"If we can find and isolate more positive cases, that will help us in reducing the spread of COVID-19 to others, and help us to protect our family, friends and the wider community.

"The testing site for those who do have COVID-19 symptoms, which has recently opened at the Overton Community Centre in Kirkcaldy, will continue to run alongside this wider Community Testing."