A new regional Covid-19 testing site capable of carrying out up to 2,000 tests a day is set to open in Truro before Christmas - with more local sites also to follow.

The facility, located at Tregurra Park & Ride on Newquay Road, will offer four testing ‘lanes’ rather than the single lane at the more common Mobile Testing Unit (MTU) sites.

It will also allow for two of Cornwall’s MTUs to be stored in the county overnight, rather than in Plymouth, meaning they can reach their destinations more quickly and stay open for longer, providing greater testing capacity.

There are currently four MTUs in operation which have been rotated across Bude, Falmouth, Camborne, Launceston, Bodmin, Penzance and St Austell.

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Cornwall Council has now secured an extra location in Liskeard and is actively seeking more locations to allow the units to be rotated more often across Cornwall.

This will be bolstered by the addition of two static Local Testing Sites (LTS) in Penzance and another as yet unconfirmed location. It is hoped they too will be up and running by Christmas.

All sites allow people with Covid-19 symptoms to get tested after they have booked a slot through the website at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. You can also book a home test if this is more convenient.

MTUs were introduced in Cornwall at the end of April this year and have so far carried out more than 41,600 tests with a daily average of almost 200.

Local and Regional Testing Sites are designed to be more permanent fixtures in towns and cities, which are accessible by foot as well as by car.

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Cllr Sally Hawken, Cornwall Council’s portfolio holder for children, wellbeing and public health, said: “It’s great news that we will soon have these extra sites across Cornwall with more hopefully to come.

“The Regional Testing Site will offer greatly increased testing capacity, not just because of the on-site testing there but also because of its advantages as a storage facility for our MTUs, which will be able to get to their locations much more quickly.”

She added: “People may wonder why an MTU near them has moved, but they can rest assured there will always be one available for anyone that requires a test.

“The units are meant to be mobile and now we have more sites available we’ll be rotating them more frequently.

“This is good for our residents as it means they will likely have less far to travel to get their test.”

Rachel Wigglesworth, director of public health for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “Our testing units play a vital role in identifying people who are infected and ensuring they self-isolate to stop spreading the virus.

“I would urge anyone with the classic symptoms – a new and continuous cough, high temperature or change in taste or smell – to self-isolate immediately and book a test.

“With more sites available across Cornwall it is easier than ever to do the right thing and get tested. Only together can we stop Covid in its tracks.”

She added: “Remember you can still take a Covid-19 test over Christmas and new year if you develop symptoms. Testing centres in Cornwall will remain open seven days a week.”

Anyone with symptoms should self-isolate immediately and get tested. If you are contacted by NHS Test and Trace you should self-isolate but only get a test if you develop symptoms.

For more information on when to get tested, visit the council’s website here.