All key (critical) workers, their household members and their immediate contacts can be tested for COVID-19 at the testing centre at Rodney Parade in Newport.

Individuals that are symptomatic of COVID-19 should email COVID-19.Testing.Unit.ABB@wales.nhs.uk directly to request a test – they should email on the first day that they experience symptoms. Employers can continue to make a referral on behalf of their employees, especially if it is part of a strategy to get their staff back to work.

The main symptoms of COVID-19 are:

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature);
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual);
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal.

Employees should always follow their employer’s sickness policy and it is the employee’s responsibility to inform their employer if they become unwell and the outcome of their test. If someone is not experiencing these symptoms but they are not well enough to attend work, they should follow the employer’s sickness policy as they would in normal practice. If an individual requires urgent medical advice, they should contact their GP or call 111. If they are experiencing life threatening symptoms, they should call 999.

Everyone tested at Rodney Parade will receive a text message with their result with a link to follow for advice and guidance.

The testing site is located at Rodney Parade in Newport and all appointments must be pre-arranged using the booking process outlined above. The centre is open from 08:00 until 18:00, seven days a week.

Everyone should continue to follow guidance from Public Health Wales, which can be found here: https://phw.nhs.wales/topics/latest-information-on-novel-coronavirus-covid-19/.