A NEW pop-up testing site has been set up in Mudeford in expectation of more non-essential travel this half-term.

Mudeford Quay car park is the latest mobile testing site in the Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch area, with more expected to pop up in popular visitor destinations across Dorset during the week.

The testing sites will be in each location for one day and will carry out lateral flow tests.

Rachel Partridge, Assistant Director of Public Health for Dorset and BCP Councils said: “Around one in three people with Covid-19 don't have symptoms so with more people going out for non-essential journeys there is a higher risk of them passing the virus on to others they meet.

“To help us identify cases quickly and to break the chains of transmission we will be using some pop-up mobile testing sites this half term to carry out one off lateral flow device tests.

"These pop-ups will be set up in areas we know people are visiting and will be in each location for one day."

As Public Health Dorset do not want to encourage non-essential journeys, they have taken the decision to not actively say where these sites will be but have assured people that they will be around the county until Saturday.

Mrs Partridge added: “We will also be using the opportunity to remind people of the national lockdown regulations and what is classed as an essential journey.

“The pop-up facility will be visible as being from Public Health Dorset with national NHS testing posters, so residents know they are official testing sites.

"Local authority Covid Marshalls will also be patrolling these sites to help with the education messages.”