Coronavirus testing sites in Sheffield close for walk-ins

Sheffield City Council confirmed testing sites in Sharrow and Darnall have switched to appointment only ‘due to lab testing reaching national capacity’.

LATEST: Coronavirus hospital admissions in Yorkshire and north east start to creep up

Amid an increased demand for tests, laboratories run by the Government to analyse test swabs from all the UK nations have been under strain to process them all.

The surge in demand has also led to local shortages, with many people reporting problems with getting online bookings and being directed to test sites hundreds of miles from their homes.

On Thursday, September 10, a symptomatic Sheffield mother whose son has chronic lung disease was told her nearest available test centre was Oldham, Greater Manchester.

If you have symptoms, book a coronavirus test by calling 119 or visiting http://nhs.uk/coronavirus. People are asked to keep trying if they are told there are initially no tests available in their area.

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