Temporary closure of Longfield Centre car park as additional coronavirus testing centre is set up

The Longfield Centre car park in Prestwich will temporarily close from Monday 19 October 2020 to allow for an additional coronavirus testing centre to be set up on the site.

The whole of the Longfield Centre car park will temporarily close from Monday 19 October 2020, but will partially re-open again when the new coronavirus testing centre opens later in the month.

Alternative parking is available at: Fairfax Road, Clifton Road and Chapel Street.

Once open, the new coronavirus testing centre in Prestwich, which will be run by the Department of Health and Social Care, will offer another option to the existing range of testing centres available in the borough. This includes walk-through, drive-through and bookable appointments.

The new testing centre at Prestwich will be open seven days a week and will be by appointment only, bookable via the national portal: https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test

A further site is due to open in Ramsbottom to the north in early November to ensure that local access is provided in all parts of the borough.

Health leaders advise residents to remember that only people with the symptoms of coronavirus should book a test: these are a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We are working hard to ensure that anyone from Bury that needs a test can get one, at a location close to where they live. We are really pleased to have an additional centre due to open in the south of the borough later in the month and thank local people for their patience as this is set up.

“Please only request a test if you have symptoms and, if you book an appointment that you decide you don’t need, please cancel it to free it up for someone else who needs a test.”

For the very latest information on testing availability in Bury and further afield, visit: https://www.bury.gov.uk/coronavirus-testing or call 0161 253 5515, 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday (excluding Bank Holidays).