The British Army has opened a new Covid-19 testing centre at Didcot Civic Hall.

From Monday May 11, the Civic Hall car park will be used as a testing centre for the coronavirus.

This news comes after the town council announced that the Didcot Civic Hall and Didcot Town Council has pledged to work in partnership with the NHS in any possible way to support their work in the pandemic.

For health and safety reasons the car park will be closed to the public and only the council, NHS and army staff will be allowed to use the Civic Hall premises during this time and only with an ID card and all the safety equipment. People needing to be tested will also be able to access the car park, but they will need to adhere to everything the Army advise and stay in their vehicle.

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Andre Silva, general manager of Didcot Civic Hall says: “We’re delighted to be able to contribute to the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic and help the Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum (TV LRF) and the Department of Health & Social Care (DHSC), to support the British Army with the Covid-19 testing system in our car park.”

A spokesperson for South Oxfordshire District Council said: “We’re very pleased Didcot Civic Hall has been chosen for this important role – we have a lot of key workers living locally, so it’s an ideal site."

Anyone who suspects they have symptoms are advised to book a test via the Government's website and to not turn up at the Civic Hall without an appointment. Book an appointment via www.gov.uk/apply-coronavirus-test.