Testing for COVID-19 over the Festive Period

Testing for COVID-19 over the Festive Period

All test sites will remain open, with booking slots available on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day. Test site operating hours may be extended if there is increased demand for PCR testing.

Please book a PCR test if you have COVID-19 symptoms or if you have tested positive following an LFD test. You can book a test online or by calling 119.

People will be able to order LFD and PCR tests every day over the festive period. The 119 service will continue to operate on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve from 7am to 6pm, and Christmas Day and New Year’s Day from 7am to 5pm.

On other days, the service will operate from 7am to 11pm.

In some cases, tests may take slightly longer than usual to arrive due to Royal Mail’s collection and delivery times over the festive period.

The public can continue to order a test via GOV.UK.

NHS Test and Trace contact tracers will also continue to work throughout the festive period, with services provided online through the self-service process on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

Due to Royal Mail collection times, people using home test kits will be given advice about how to return their kits during the festive period as some tests will need to be posted by midday on Christmas Eve and 31 December. There will be no collections on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

There will be a weekend collection service on 26 December, 27 December, 28 December, 2 January, and 3 January.

Opening hours for testing sites (including local and drive through testing sites)

Opening hours for 119

Mobile Testing Units (MTUs) will be operating on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day° (25th, 26th & 1st) 10:00 – 12:00 and normal hours on all other days.