Coronavirus in Scotland: How to order a lateral flow test in Scotland

Since April, everyone in the country has been able to access a free lateral flow coronavirus test, even if they don’t have symptoms, to help find cases that may have been missed.
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By allowing people to access free testing whenever they want means that cases that would otherwise have gone undetected can be caught and reported.

Those who test positive will have to self isolate, which will in turn halt the spread of the virus in a situation that may have slipped through the net before.

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The lateral flow test devise can provide a result within 30 minutes and can be ordered here or collected from a drive through testing centre from 3.30pm each day.

Coronavirus in Scotland: How to order a lateral flow test in ScotlandCoronavirus in Scotland: How to order a lateral flow test in Scotland
Coronavirus in Scotland: How to order a lateral flow test in Scotland
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Chief Medical Officer Dr Gregor Smith explained: "This expansion builds on our existing testing strategy, and will help our efforts to ease the country out of lockdown safely.

"Routine testing is already available for people with no symptoms in a wide range of settings, including schools, high-risk workplaces, and communities where Covid-19 rates remain stubbornly high.

"Rapid lateral flow testing is already helping us to find cases that might otherwise have been missed, as around one in three people with Covid-19 do not show symptoms.

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"That's why it's vital people can access testing, even if they don't feel unwell. It will help protect the people around you, and help us avoid another return to lockdown.

"It may be tempting to think as vaccinations increase and cases drop, that testing will become less important. In fact, this will only make it more important to spot and prevent new outbreaks as cases emerge. We know from our experience of last summer just how quickly one outbreak can lead to another.

"This also applies regardless of whether you have been vaccinated or not. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection against the effects of Covid-19, they don't yet provide a guarantee that you can't still get the virus or pass it on to others."

If you have Covid-19 symptoms, you should take a PCR test.

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