TOO many people with no symptoms are turning up at Bury's new walk-in coronavirus testing centres, health bosses have warned.

People in need of a Covid-19 test have again faced lengthy queues and a long wait at the borough's two newly opened centres at The Mosses and Chesham Fold today.

Over the last seven days the centres are said to have continually been 'overwhelmed' by the volume of visitors.

As demand for testing is rising in Bury and across England efforts are being made to increase capacity, Bury Council has said.

However, to ensure tests are available to those who really need them, health bosses have issued an urgent appeal.

They are asking residents to only request a test if they have symptoms of coronavirus ­— such as a high temperature, new continuous cough, or a loss or change to sense of smell or taste.

Councillor Andrea Simpson, Bury Council’s cabinet member for health and wellbeing, said: “We are doing our very best to ensure people get a test when they need one, but capacity is limited.

"Our local testing sites at Mosses and Chesham have been overwhelmed by demand since the opened last week, leading to understandable frustration.

“It’s really important that only people who have symptoms turn up at the centres.

"If you don’t have symptoms, please don’t request a test; this creates a bottleneck in our already pressured system and unnecessary delays for people that really need one.

“There are people with symptoms who cannot return to work and students that cannot return to class until they are sure that they don’t have the virus to avoid passing it on. Getting a test is the only way for them to know.”

Today it was announced that two previously-advertised walk-through locations at Whitefield Library, where people have been queueing today, and the Metro Christian Centre, in Parkhills Road, are not currently open.

However, it is expected that these centres and others will be brought on line in the coming weeks.

But, if these sites continue to be inundated by people who a symptom-free, Cllr Simpson warned that they may have change to become appointment-only.

She said: “We are looking to create additional capacity in locally managed and nationally managed sites in Bury over coming weeks but, if demand continues in this way, we may have to convert the local testing sites into booked appointments only.”

Meanwhile, there is also a mobile testing unit, which is available by appointment only, operating tomorrow between 10.30am to 3.30pm, at Foundry Street in Bury.

Appointments for the mobile testing unit can be booked in advance at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test.

An additional drive-through testing centre also remains at Waterfold Business Park.

People must request an appointment to be tested at this site on the Bury Council website.