A MOBILE coronavirus testing unit will be in Birkenhead and Bromborough next week.

Operating on an strictly-by-appointment basis, it will be at the Croft Retail Park in Bromborough on Monday and Tuesday, offering test tests for retail workers only.

The facility will is at Europa Leisure Centre in Birkenhead on Wednesday, where other members of the public will be able to get a test.

From Thursday to Saturday (August 13-15) it will be Tranmere Rovers' Prenton Park ground, home of Tranmere Rovers Football Club offering tests to the general public who have made appointments.

Further dates and locations for the mobile unit in Wirral will be announced soon.

The mobile testing unit is in addition to Wirral’s satellite testing centre in Bidston which operates seven days a week.

For the latest information, visit www.wirral.gov.uk/test where you can also book a test at the Bidston satellite testing site.

Cllr Chris Jones, Wirral's cabinet member for adult care, health and wellbeing, said: "The protection of people’s health and well-being is our top priority and effective and accessible testing is a key part of that during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"By locating this mobile testing unit in areas where people normally visit or work, or close to major centres of population, we are ensuring those who need a test are able to access one whether it’s people who work or live in that area or have travelled there because it’s a convenient location for them.

"We have also taken all necessary steps to ensure that people in those areas are not put at any risk, keeping the mobile testing unit completely separate.

"Good local testing will help slow the spread of the coronavirus and allow people get the right advice for themselves their family and anyone they may have been in contact with and help limit the spread of the disease.

"As restrictions continue to ease and people start to feel more normality coming back into their lives, it’s vital that those who are eligible for a test, get tested to help Keep Wirral Well."

The mobile testing site is walk-in or drive-through and will provide an additional 400 ‘self-swab' tests per day.

At Bromborough the coronavirus mobile testing unit will be located away from the main shopping area and will be for Croft retail workers only on those two days (August 10 & 11).

Everyone over the age of five who is showing symptoms of coronavirus – a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss of or change to their sense of smell or taste – is eligible to apply for a test.

Residents who meet the above criteria can apply for a test through the NHS website or the Gov.uk website, and select the Wirral site as an option via the booking process.

Instructions on how to take the test and how and when individuals will receive their results will be provided when they take their test.