Covid-19 testing for residents and staff

The Government has greatly expanded its Covid-19 coronavirus testing programme over the course of the pandemic.

Updates on the testing regime can be found in the online government document, Coronavirus (COVID-19): getting tested.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing is the most common form of test used in the UK. To use the test a swab is used to collect a sample from the tonsils and inside the nose. It takes about 2 days to get a result. A laboratory analysis will indicate if the SARS-CoV-2 virus is present.

Methods that can deliver on-the-spot testing are being developed.