A permanent walk-through coronavirus testing centre will open in Ilford on Wednesday, July 15.
Anyone with symptoms of Covid-19, however mild, can have a free swab test that takes less than a minute in the Mildmay Road car park.
The site is easily accessible without a car and those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, not travelling by taxi or public transport, practising good personal hygiene, and wearing a face covering throughout (including travelling to and from the testing centre).
Anyone with an appointment will be given guidance on getting to and from the test site safely.
Tests should be booked or ordered as soon as symptoms begin at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ or by calling 119.
Additional support will be available for vulnerable groups and people with disabilities.
The leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, said: “Since the start of the pandemic I have been relentlessly pushing for a permanent Covid-19 testing facility in Redbridge.
“We are a densely populated, hugely diverse area and so it is essential that all local people can easily get tested close to home as soon as they experience symptoms.
“I’m really pleased that after months of behind-the-scenes talks Redbridge will now finally have a permanent testing centre, open to all our local residents, right in the heart of our community.”
He also stressed that even those who don’t have symptoms should continue to practise caution when they go out to prevent the borough going back under lockdown, similar to what happened in Leicester.
Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them track their contacts.
This will help people to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.
Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, advising them to stay at home for 14 days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus.
They will be notified to also book a test if they develop symptoms.
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