New Havant Covid Testing Centre Opens for Workers
A fresh coronavirus testing centre has just launched in Havant, exclusively for people who must leave home for work. Located inside Havant Library at the Meridian Centre, it opened its doors on Wednesday, 24 February.
This is one of 11 new centres across the county, set to run for six weeks, offering regular testing to workers in small businesses with fewer than 50 employees who don’t have workplace testing schemes.
Targeted Testing to Catch Silent Spreaders
With around one in three Covid cases showing no symptoms, this testing hub aims to stop asymptomatic carriers spreading the virus unknowingly. Tests are by appointment only and open to people who regularly travel outside home for work.
Results don’t come back on-site but are sent through the NHS Test and Trace system and texted out later the same day.
Opening Hours & Free Parking Details
- Monday to Friday: 9:30am to 5pm (last slot 4:30pm)
- Saturday: 9:30am to 5pm (last slot 4:30pm)
- Free parking available at Bulbeck Road Car Park
The centre is a joint effort between Hampshire County Council and the Department of Health and Social Care.
Cllr Michael Wilson, Havant Borough Council leader, said: “The testing centre will give Havant residents the chance to go to work safe in the knowledge they are not unwittingly carrying coronavirus. It is another crucial blow in the fight against the virus and another step towards us reclaiming our lives.”
How to Book & Take the Test
- Book online at Havant Borough Council or Hampshire County Council websites 24 hours in advance
- Appointments take no more than 30 minutes
- If online booking isn’t possible, call Havant Borough Council for help
- Don’t eat or drink 30 minutes before your test
- Testing involves a self-swab of nose and throat under supervision
- Results sent by text after leaving the site
- Tests are repeated every 3-5 days during the six-week period
- Positive cases must self-isolate—no follow-up test needed
For full details, visit www.havant.gov.uk/get-test-workers-without-symptoms or call 01730 234110.
