Somerset County Cricket Club has confirmed that the NHS has opened a drive-through testing centre at the Cooper Associates County Ground.
The testing centre at the Club is testing pre-operative patients and symptomatic NHS staff. The aim is to keep transmission of infection to a minimum at local health care facilities such as Musgrove Park Hospital and to enable NHS staff to continue working when given the ‘all clear’.
Working in partnership with Premier Parking Solutions (PPS), the St James Street side of the ground was initially testing around 300 people a week, but will be ramping up to 900 a week as of Monday.
The NHS clearly state that although there are testing centres that are open to the public, the testing centre at the Cooper Associates County Ground is by appointment only and for those who meet the above criteria.
This initiative is the latest scheme in a long standing relationship between Somerset County Cricket Club and the NHS from booking conferences and events, cricket days dedicated to the NHS and raising money for local NHS causes.
Somerset Chief Executive Gordon Hollins said: “The Club greatly appreciates the support it has had for many years on and off the field and we now have a responsibility to play our part in helping the South-West community get through this crisis. It is a privilege to host the NHS Testing Centre, which is so important in ensuring that our magnificent doctors and nurses are protected.
“I am also delighted that so many of our players and staff have supported the community in different ways, from helping maintain the grounds of a Care Home to filling envelopes with Thank You cards being sent to Somerset’s army of 4,000 volunteers.”
Mel Schultz, who is responsible for COVID-19 testing at Somerset NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We want to say a big thank you to Somerset County Cricket Club for kindly allowing us to use a section of the Cooper Associates County Ground to support COVID-19 swab testing for our staff and patients.
“This has been a truly fantastic example of how the local community has supported the NHS in creative ways during the COVID-19 pandemic.”
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