A fleet of "Let's Get Tested" vans are to be rolled out across the county to bolster Staffordshire County Council's efforts to tackle Covid-19 and test more people without symptoms.

The mobile rapid-testing vans will provide pop-up community testing across the county and support the new Community Testing Centres when they open their doors this week.

Many Staffordshire employers are also joining the mass-testing rollout, with Alton Towers being one of those to offer both community and workforce testing.

Central to health chiefs' plans are asking all residents who need to be out and about during the lockdown to have regular Covid-19 tests, even if they don't have symptoms, and asking anybody in a hotspot area to get a test.

The move aims to tackle the "silent spreaders" - people who carry the virus but have no symptoms. The county council aims to test thousands of asymptomatic people every day by February.

The latest average seven-day Covid rate in Staffordshire is currently 430 per 100,000 population, lower than the West Midlands rate of 567 and the England rate of 550.

Dr Johnny McMahon, Cabinet Member for Health, Care and Wellbeing, said: "We are now at the end of the second week under national lockdown and people must not leave or be outside their home except where necessary. This is the law.

"Some people may need to leave home for example to shop for basic necessities, or to go to work, if they cannot work from home.

"If people do need to leave their homes then testing across the county is available to check whether they have the virus before they have contact with others.

"The County Council and partners have worked hard to ensure there is lots of availability for residents to get a rapid test.

"The message should now be crystal clear – if it you need to have contact with others get tested regularly. If you live in a hotspot location book that test today."

To find out more about the county's testing centres and hotspot areas and how you can get tested, click here.