Covid-19 testing site at Brevik prepares to open

SHETLAND’s Covid-19 testing service will operate from its new location outside Brevik House in Lerwick from Monday (15 June).

The temporary testing pod that was set up in the Gilbert Bain Hospital car park at the start of the pandemic will no longer fulfil this function.

Testing at the Brevik site is only for people referred for a test and it will be by appointment only.

Those who can be referred include:

• Symptomatic people who cannot access the UK Government testing scheme (such as those aged under five) or for specific clinical reasons;
• Those needing pre-op tests for a procedure to be done in Shetland or Aberdeen;
• People identified through contact tracing by Public Health;
• NHS and other staff referred by Occupational Health.

When someone to be swabbed arrives at the Brevik site they must stay in their car and a health professional will come out and take a throat and nose swab through the car window.

The process should only take a matter of minutes, and afterwards the individual can go home.

NHS Shetland said it would like to thank Ivor Smith and SQC for their “incredible support and assistance with the Brevik site”.