FRONTLINE council staff who cannot work from home will be given weekly Covid tests to ensure essential services can continue running.

Around one in three people who are infected with Covid have no symptoms so council bosses are broadening testing to identify positive cases quickly and break chains of transmission.

Asymptomatic testing using lateral flow devices has already been rolled out nationally to NHS frontline staff, care home staff and residents, domiciliary care workers, schools and some commercial organisations.

In the first phase of the Dorset Rapid Testing Programme, Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council will be introducing weekly Lateral Flow Device (LFD) testing of some critical workers who come into face-to-face contact with the most vulnerable.

LDF testing is available for eligible groups from a mobile unit at Weymouth Park and Ride. More sites will be looked in to over the coming weeks.

Councillor Laura Miller, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health said: “It’s a really positive step that we are now able to start offering rapid testing for our frontline employees, especially those who are in close contact with residents every day as part of their job.

"We know one in three people can have Covid-19 but not show symptoms, so want to do all we can to reduce the chances of employees unknowingly passing the virus on to those they work with and their loved ones, and make sure we can continue to provide essential services to people in our local communities.”

Public Health Dorset is now working with both authorities to identify further community groups to invite to the 12-week asymptomatic testing programme; those who are working to keep essential services running or supporting the Covid effort and those who are vulnerable and at higher risk of transmission. This may also include community testing within council ward areas with high prevalence of Covid.

Rachel Partridge, Assistant Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils said: “While most of our staff at BCP and Dorset Councils are able to continue to deliver council services working remotely, we have a number of staff who can’t do their jobs from home and need to be out seeing people in person.

“By introducing weekly lateral flow device testing for front line staff, as well as following all the other current COVID mitigations such social distancing and wearing of PPE, we aim to make any interactions safer so we can continue carrying out vital front line services. This allows the delivery of key services such as social care and passenger transport while keeping the rest of our communities safe and limiting the spread of COVID-19.”

Anyone who develops Covid symptoms should continue to use the national portal to book a test at the mobile testing sites and local testing sites around the rest of Dorset, including the Swannery car park in Weymouth.

To book a test visit https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or call 119.