Logo: Visit the Southend-on-Sea Borough Council home page Sign up for newsletters Account Search this website Search Home Health and Wellbeing Coronavirus information and guidance Coronavirus information and guidance In this section Symptoms and what you should do Helping Our Neighbours How to Stay Home Guidance when visiting our play areas Bins and Recycling Worried about Coronavirus? Support for care sector Information for South Essex Homes Residents Coronavirus help contact details COVID-19 impacts on Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities Advice for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds You are here: Getting tested for COVID-19 Back to school Guidance for visiting Outdoor Gym areas Delivery of Prescriptions Scam protection and crime Getting tested for COVID-19 Who can get tested? Anyone who has symptoms of coronavirus should apply for the test straight away. Anyone who does not have symptoms can access a rapid test at one of the Lateral Flow Device testing sites. How to get a test If you have symptoms If you have Covid-19 symptoms you are advised to have a PCR test. Guidance on test site location and testing options are available on the GOV.UK website, Get a free PCR test to check if you have coronavirus. You can also call NHS 119. Local sites for people with symptoms are at: Southend Airport Location: London Southend Airport, Long Stay Car Park 3, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 6YE Opening Hours: Monday to Sunday 9am to 3pm PCR testing only Test book through the national system Shoebury Park Location: Shoebury Park, Elm Rd, Shoeburyness, Southend-on-Sea, SS3 9SF Opening Hours Monday to Friday 9am to 3pm PCR testing only Test book through the national system Short Street Car Park Location: Short Street, Southend-on-Sea, SS2 5BS Opening hours: Monday to Sunday 8am to 6pm PCR testing only Test book through the national system COVID-19 symptoms The main symptoms of COVID-19 are: a high temperature a new, continuous cough a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste If you're worried about your symptoms, use the online NHS 111 coronavirus service. Call 111 if you can’t get help online. If you do not have symptoms You can get a home test kit from: Central Government's website Or from the following libraries (Open 10am – 4pm, Monday to Saturday) Southend Central Library at The Forum Elmer Square, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 1NS Westcliff Library 649 London Road, Westcliff on Sea, Essex, SS0 9PD Kent Elms Library Rayleigh Road, Leigh-on-Sea Essex, SS9 5UU Southchurch Library 221 Lifstan Way, Southend-on-Sea, Essex, SS1 2XG Leigh Library Broadway West, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, SS9 2DA Shoeburyness Library Delaware Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS3 9NS Or from Southend Leisure and Tennis Centre Garon Park, Eastern Avenue, SS2 4FA Keep Southend Safe collect your test kits while attending the Hares about town Arts Trail from: Beecroft Art Gallery Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS2 6EX - open times 11am - 5pm Prittlewell Priory Victoria Avenue, Southend-on-Sea SS2 6NB - open times 11am - 5pm Southchurch Hall Close, Southend-on-Sea SS1 - open times 11am-4pm (closed 1-1:30pm) Pharmacy Collect Changes to the free LFD COVID-19 home test collection service from pharmacies From the 4 October 2021, a number of changes are being made to the service at pharmacies. The changes are being made to increase traceability of test kits and to continue to assist NHS Test and Trace to identify COVID-positive cases in the community and break the chain of transmission. The changes to the service will apply from 4 October 2021 and they include: a reduction in the number of packs of test kits you can collect from pharmacies from 4 to 2 residents will need to register for a collect code through gov.uk or by calling 119 before collecting home test kits from a pharmacy if residents do not wish to register for a collect code, you can request an anonymous collection, but you should use collect codes wherever possible information on the test kit lot number and the number of test kits supplied will be recorded and reported for each transaction this data will be recorded daily to help identify areas of COVID-19 testing demand and support traceability of outbreaks the minimum recommended age for a person to collect LFD test kits will be reduced to 16 years old For more information on regular rapid lateral flow COVID-19 testing for people without symptoms visit nhs.uk. Assisted testing locations These tests are only for people without symptoms. If you have symptoms book a test on GOV.UK. If you have a health condition that makes testing yourself at home difficult, you can now get an assisted test at the following pharmacies across Southend-on-Sea. Belfairs Pharmacy Bridgwater Pharmacy Deejay Pharmacy Derix Healthcare Pharmacy Earls Hall Pharmacy Kalsons Chemist Leigh Pharmacy Queensway Pharmacy Shoebury Pharmacy West Road Pharmacy Information on all test centres All test sites in Southend are viewable on this map. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR test) The PCR test looks for evidence that the virus is currently in your body, by looking for the presence of its RNA in a swab sample from your nose/throat. The test needs to go to a laboratory for processing and it usually takes between 12 and 24 hours to return a result. Lateral Flow Device Testing (LFD) Lateral flow antigen devices are a rapid test for COVID-19 that gives a result in about 30 minutes. You can do the test yourself under the supervision of a trained member of staff. The test is a small swab brushed against your tonsils and inside one nostril. The swab is put into a device, which works a bit like a pregnancy-test kit. It then takes about 30 minutes to give a result. Lateral flow devices give a result much faster than the more sensitive lab-based PCR tests which can take at least 24 hours, and often longer. The rapid approach does not need processing in a laboratory so it can pick up far more cases at the most critical period and stop transmission fast. This technology will help us greatly increase the number of people who know they are infected and can then self-isolate, slowing the spread of the virus. More information on LFD tests Priority testing for key workers in Southend Nazareth house, 111 London Rd in Westcliff is now the testing centre for key worker staff including patients who are due to have planned operations at the hospital. Key workers eligible include NHS employees, care workers, the emergency services and education workers, and their household members receiving symptomatic testing. Care home test kits Coronavirus testing is available for all care home residents and staff regardless of whether they are symptomatic or not. To apply for a test kit, you must be a CQC Registered care home manager. Visit GOV.UK to find out how to apply for care home test kits. Home tests Everyone is eligible for twice weekly symptom-free LFD testing kits. If not already supplied via your educational institution or workplace testing programme, kits can be collected at any community LFD rapid testing site and selected local libraries and pharmacies, as well as a limited number of PCR test locations. If you are unable to collect a kit from one of our local collection points, kits can be ordered via the GOV.UK website. Where to collect a home test Kits may be collected from selected pharmacies and several local libraries. All testing and collection sites in Southend are viewable on this map. you do not need to book an appointment. Test kits are Free you can collect 2 packs of home test kits. Each pack contains seven tests you must be over 18 years old to collect home test kit Once you have completed your home test, you should report every result (positive, negative or void) to NHS Test and Trace, on the same day you take the test. Report your result online or by phone as indicated on the kit. Home test positive results Subjects who return a positive LFD result are required to self-isolate immediately after receiving a positive result and follow the guidance from NHS Test and Trace. Your family or immediate contacts may also be required to isolate, guidance will be given by NHS Test and Trace as to the most current guidelines. Please check the most up to date guidance on GOV.UK. You must arrange to have a PCR test if you have not already had one. Stay at home while you are waiting for a home self-sampling kit, a test site appointment or a test result. You can leave your home in a few specific circumstances, but do not go to work, school, or public areas and do not use public transport or taxis. See circumstances in which you can leave home. If you need to leave your home to get to a test site, observe strict social distancing advice and return immediately afterwards. You should consider yourself positive and adhere to the government guidelines, until advised otherwise by NHS Test and Trace or a confirmatory test result by a relevant person. Negative PCR test result If you receive a negative test result, you do not need to self-isolate (unless otherwise indicated). Testing after your isolation period has ended Anyone who has previously received a positive COVID-19 PCR test result should not be re-tested within 90 days of that test unless they develop any new symptoms of COVID-19. If, however, you do have an LFD antigen test within 90 days of a previous positive COVID-19 PCR test, for example as part of a workplace testing programme, and the result of this test is positive, you should self-isolate and follow the steps as set out in the government guidance again. Financial support If you’re asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace and you’re on a low income, unable to work from home and will lose income as a result, you may be entitled to a payment of £500 under the Test and Trace Support Payment scheme. Order a symptom-free test kit to be delivered If you cannot get tested at your workplace, are unable to go to a test site to take or collect a test, you can order a home test kit from GOV.UK. Instructions in alternative formats See instructions on testing for coronavirus at home in accessible formats. Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) can send you braille, audio or large print instructions. After ordering a home test you can either: send a request online call 0303 123 9999 (Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm, Saturday 9am to 1pm) Back to the coronavirus homepage Next page : Back to school Previous page : Advice for people from Black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds Contact Switchboard and Out of Hours Telephone: 01702 215000 Email: council@southend.gov.uk Downloads Annual Public Health Reports Coronavirus information and guidance Health and Wellbeing Go to top All content © 2021 Southend-on-Sea Borough Council. All rights reserved. Designed and powered by Jadu. 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