A MOBILE coronavirus testing centre has opened in Leominster's Broad Street car park as Herefordshire's public health chief warns cases are rising "significantly".

It's the second mobile testing centre to be set up in Herefordshire within the past three weeks – taking the total number of sites countywide to three.

The other two sites are in Hereford and Ross-on-Wye.

Herefordshire Council said the latest unit makes it more convenient for residents from north Herefordshire to get a Covid-19 test close to home.

The unit opened on Friday (November 13) and will offer tests from 10.30am until 3.30pm each day and will be in place for the foreseeable future.

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It is being provided for Herefordshire Council by the regional NHS test and trace team.

Herefordshire Council’s director of public health Karen Wright said: “It has always been our aim to set up more testing sites in Herefordshire to make it easier for our residents to get tested close to home.

“We are delighted to see this plan becoming a reality and are confident it will help us to carry out local testing, tracking and tracing to help control the spread of the virus.

“We cannot do this alone. The successful control of Covid-19 here depends on the actions of everyone in Herefordshire. Cases of Covid-19 in the county are rising significantly and could overwhelm our community, including local health and care services.

“Nobody in Herefordshire can afford to relax. It is essential people get tested if they have symptoms and also that they self-isolate immediately.”

Public Health England figures show coronavirus cases in Herefordshire rose by 266 to 1,894 between November 5 and November 12.