Extended opening hours, additional pop-up community testing and a new semi-permanent site have been put in place to make it easier for Staffordshire residents to get a Covid test.

People who must leave their homes to make essential visits are being urged to get tested regularly in one of Staffordshire's Community Testing Centres.

Each district or borough has a semi-permanent site open seven days a week, with Biddulph's being located at the Biddulph Valley Leisure Centre.

Biddulph Nub News reported recently how the town's residents were urged to get tested as local centres remained "very quiet".

A new semi-permanent site at Brough Park Leisure Centre in Leek, additional mobile pop-ups and some sites having extended opening hours are in place from this week to make it easier for people to make getting a test part of their weekly routines.

Many of the county's semi-permanent sites will now open earlier (from 8.00am) with others being available to book into the early evening on Thursdays (1.00pm – 7.00pm).

The latest average seven-day Covid rate in Staffordshire is currently 290 per 100,000 population, similar to the England rate of 280, and lower than the West Midlands rate of 340.

Dr Johnny McMahon Staffordshire County Council's Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: "A lot of hard work has been put in to get our community testing programme to this level.

"For people who need to leave the home and be out and about we continue to strongly urge the need to get tested regularly.

"Testing is quick, simple, free, seven days a week and now available early mornings and into the evening.

"Being able to provide this level of flexible access for residents is important, as we know getting tested regularly as part of a weekly routine is one of the best ways to break the chain of transmission and control the virus."

Availability for tests is good and should be booked in advance here. People with symptoms or those who have been asked to self-isolate as a close contact of a Covid case should not attend.