Anyone who is over-18 and has no symptoms of Covid-19 can collect up to 14 rapid response lateral flow devices (LFDs) per household by appointment only from one of three sites in the borough.
- Lambeth Town Hall, Brixton
- Streatham Library, Streatham
- St John’s Church Waterloo, Waterloo
Visit lambeth.gov.uk to book a time to collect your kits. The tests are designed to be done at home and you can get a result within 30 minutes.
The Community Collect offer does not replace the current asymptomatic testing service at the three sites, therefore you can still continue to be tested on site if you prefer.
If you’re unable to go and collect a test kit you can order a test kit online at www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests and have it delivered to your home if:
- you’re 18 or older
- you live in England
- you do not have coronavirus symptoms
- you have not been told to self-isolate
- you or someone in your household, childcare or support bubble attends a primary school, a nursery, a secondary school, a sixth form, a college, or works at one
- you cannot get tests from a test site or your work
By using LFDs the Community Collect programme aims to help find people with no Covid-19 symptoms, as they risk spreading the virus to others.
Cllr Jim Dickson, Lambeth’s joint Cabinet Member of Health and Social Care, said: “Identifying infectious individuals early, and those they have been in close contact with, and then isolating them can significantly reduce transmission of the virus and break transmission chains.
“The more people that get tested, the better we can pick up asymptomatic infections and stop the spread to others. In this way we can cut the number of Covid-19 infections in the borough to help keep people safe, and help lessen the restrictions on our lives that are needed.
“The priority as we move out of lockdown is to make asymptomatic testing as easy as possible for residents to access.”
Up to a third of people who test positive for coronavirus have no symptoms at the time of the test and can therefore spread it unknowingly. The programme will work in support of the council contact tracing programme and enhanced support for those who need to self-isolate.
What twice-weekly testing involves
- Take a test twice a week (every 3 or 4 days apart)
- Report every result to NHS Test and Trace on the same day you take the test
- Report your test result online or by calling 119.
Lateral Flow testing at home using Community Collect is straight forward. Each box will have a set of instructions which are simple to follow.
Watch a step by step video guide on how to self-test at home. Read instructions on how to self-test at home in English and other languages
If your home test result is positive
If you test positive or get coronavirus symptoms, you should:
- Self-isolate immediately – www.lambeth.gov.uk/self-isolate-help
- Get a PCR test to confirm the result
- Follow the stay at home guidance for households with possible coronavirus infection
If your home test result is negative
- A negative result means the test did not find signs of coronavirus. But this does not guarantee you do not have coronavirus, so you should keep following all coronavirus advice, including regular handwashing and social distancing.
