A NEW mobile testing unit for Blackburn with Darwen has been opened at Corporation Park.

The mobile testing unit is situated close to the gatehouse on Preston New Road.

It will be open from 11am to 6pm every day and entrance for vehicles to the testing unit is on West Park Road and the exit leads out onto Preston New Road. P

edestrians can access from any park entrances and use the walk in testing facility located near the gatehouse on Preston New Road.

A spokesman said: "Anyone in the borough can be tested at the new site – you don’t need to have symptoms of coronavirus. The service is open to people of all ages including children and infants. The test is self-administered and a member of the team will talk you through what to do. Parents and carers will be asked to administer to children under the age of 11.

"This helps with ‘case finding’ in the borough – looking for people who may not know they have the virus because they don’t have symptoms.

"Blackburn with Darwen is doing more testing for Coronavirus than almost any other area in England, to help us understand more about the virus in the borough."

You will need to register beforehand for a test, and can do this online at https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test– it only takes 10 minutes to register.

If you can’t do this online and have no one to help you, you can call 119.

Once registered, you will get a code that the mobile testing site can attach to your test.

Anyone driving to a test site is reminded to keep their car windows closed until the staff ask you to open them.

This is important to reduce the risk of spread of virus during the testing process itself.

People travelling to the testing centre are being encouraged to walk or cycle there if possible, to ensure safety of pedestrians in the park and minimise traffic issues in the area.

Corporation Park will be open as usual for visitors while the testing centre is in operation. Park users are asked to avoid accessing the area designated for the testing unit.

The permanent testing site is at Old Bank Lane in Blackburn, outside Royal Blackburn Hospital and a mobile testing site is also at Audley Sports Centre.