Scarborough's new walk-in Covid testing site to open on Friday, as infection rate in the borough soars

A further 41 new infections were recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the borough’s overall total since the start of the pandemic to 1,446.

It also means the borough has recorded 201 cases in the last seven days alone.

The borough’s seven-day infection rate per 100,000 people has once more jumped up again. It now stands at 185, more than double the figure it stood at two weeks ago.

The borough’s infection rate remains below the North Yorkshire average of 210 and the England average of 229.

Tomorrow, Scarborough’s new walk-in coronavirus testing site will open at the William Street Coach Park.

Testing at the site will be available seven days a week from 8am until 8pm and it will have the capacity for around 350 tests per day.

Speaking at yesterday’s North Yorkshire Local Resilience Forum, Dr Victoria Turner, public health consultant at North Yorkshire County Council, said: “The Scarborough site is being built and the plan is to pilot [today] – so it should be open if the pilot goes fine and there is no reason to think it wouldn’t at this point.

“It should be fully open on Friday.”

Appointments must be booked in advance.

Anyone who is showing coronavirus symptoms should register for a test on the NHS website at www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

People who do not have access to the internet, or who have difficulty with the digital portals, can ring the 119 service to book.

Tests can be booked at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.