SMALL businesses which remain open during lockdown can get their staff tested weekly for Covid.

Public Health Dorset has set up a rapid asymptomatic testing service, using lateral flow device (LFD) tests, for employees in the county who cannot work from home due to the nature of their role.

They have already started doing this for frontline council workers, businesses, charities and voluntary organisations (employing less than 250 people) which either provide an essential service or support the vulnerable.

Now businesses and organisations which employ less than 50 people and are open under current government guidelines are being invited to register their interest in weekly asymptomatic testing.

One in three people who have Covid-19 show no symptoms and can therefore spread it without knowing. The aim of asymptomatic testing, through lateral flow devices, is to identify cases quickly and to break the chains of transmission.

A spokesman for Public health Dorset said: "So far 349 priority businesses and organisations have started to use the service and are having weekly LFD tests to keep their companies going while also helping prevent the spread of Covid-19 to their colleagues and communities.

"We are now asking any business or organisation in Dorset which is open and employs less than 50 people (including the self-employed) to register their interest in weekly lateral flow device testing. Employees must sign up to six weeks of testing and be tested at one of the sites around the county."

Cllr Laura Miller, Dorset Council’s Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care and Health added: “Due to the nature of their work some people are unable to do this so if you can’t work from home and fit the community testing criteria please register for community testing. The quicker we can identify Covid-19 cases, the quicker those people can self-isolate and help break the transmission of the virus.”

Businesses and organisations can register their interest at www.publichealthdorset.org.uk/your-health/protecting-your-health/dorset-rapid-community-testing.aspx

Any business or organisation with over 50 employees can access testing by registering interest in the Government’s institution-led-testing programme at www.gov.uk/get-workplace-coronavirus-tests