A COUNCIL chief says take up tests has been good in Stockton as a third hub opens for those without Covid symptoms. 

Testing centres for asymptomatic Teessiders are up and running at Splash, in  Stockton, and Thornaby Pavilion in a bid to track cases.

A third centre will open at Billingham Forum on Wednesday for pre-booked tests. 

One in three people who have Covid do not have symptoms and the hubs are designed to track these people to ensure they isolate. 

Stockton Council leader Bob Cook said uptake at the two existing centres had been good so far. 

Cllr Cook added: “The Billingham Forum hub will be the third one. It’s going quite well and we’re getting quite good numbers through.

“We started them off with quite a low profile as the people doing it had just been trained up.

“But each site can take 880 tests a day once they’re all up and running.”

Rolling community Covid rates have fallen in Stockton – with the seven day rolling NHS average standing at 390 cases per 100,000 using data from January 11 to January 17.

But pressure is still being felt at North Tees hospital as high community rates translate into more Covid patients on wards. 

Health panels on Teesside have heard how community testing tends to be more effective when rates are lower – as it allows contact tracing to be more effective in tracking clusters of cases. 

A new hub at Redcar Leisure Centre is due to open on Monday – aimed at key workers and those who cannot work from home. 

Meanwhile, councillors have heard how neighbouring Middlesbrough was taking a different tack on testing – with more targeted testing for at risk workers and communities being lined up at the start of next month. 

Newport Community Hub, North Ormesby Hub and Marton Sports Village are set to be staffed as testing hubs.

However, South Tees public health chief Mark Adams told councillors they would shift resources towards the vaccination push if asked. 

“If it’s a competition between supporting vaccination sites and testing, we will shift it to supporting the vaccination sites as the more important endeavour,” he added.

To book a test in Stockton, go to: https://www.stockton.gov.uk/our-people/coronavirus-covid-19/covid-19-testing/