The opening hours of a testing facility for people without coronavirus symptoms have been reduced.

The mass testing centre at Sheppey's Sheerness East Working Men's Club in Queenborough Road, Halfway, opened in December to help bring down the area's high infection rates.

The opening hours for the tests, which help to find people who don’t have symptoms but might be unknowingly spreading the virus, were 9am to 7pm.

But it is now 9am to 2pm.

Kent County Council (KCC) has explained that the site was part of a rolling programme and so hours of operation and locations of sites would be amended based on local need.

Despite the reduced hours, the facility at the converted social club has been extended for two more weeks.

A KCC spokesman said: “The symptom-free test sites across Kent are part of a rolling programme – locations of sites and hours of operation will be amended as appropriate to need in that local area.

"Sheerness testing site has been extended for a further two weeks of operation to February 11 and is open 8am to 3pm, with bookable appointments from 9am to 2pm, during the two-week extension.

"There is another testing site within the borough, which remains operational from 9am to 7pm at Kemsley Community Centre in Ridham Avenue, Kemsley.”

There has been concern among Sheppey residents on social media that if the facility at the Sheerness East isn't used, the Island would lose it.

This morning, a steady stream of cars made their way into the one-way system car park and 41 people used the facility in one hour, between 11.30am and 12.30pm.

KCC said it was continuing to ask people to book symptom-free tests.

People can expect a result within 30 minutes from the "lateral flow swab test". If positive, they must self-isolate for 10 days and take a PCR test to confirm the result.

Those who are negative must still observe social distancing guidelines, wear a mask in public and regularly wash their hands.

To book a symptom-free test, go to kent.gov.uk/symptomfreetest.

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