Everyone in Northern Ireland with symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) is now eligible for testing.
When you book a test you will usually have the option of taking the test at home or at a drive-through testing site.
The test involves taking a swab of the inside of your nose and the back of your throat, using a long cotton bud.
If you have been self-isolating and you receive a negative COVID-19 test result you can now leave your house.
If you still feel unwell you should phone your GP or GP out-of-hours.
If you receive a positive test result you should continue to self-isolate for 10 days from the start of your symptoms or until your temperature returns to normal after the 10 days.
Your household should remain in self-isolation for 10 days from the start of your symptoms. If anyone in your household gets symptoms they should book a test.
If you test positive, you will also be asked to take part in contact tracing to help protect your community. This is when someone from the Public Health Agency rings you to ask about people you have been in contact with. This will prevent the spread of the virus.
Key messages:
If you develop COVID-19 symptoms you should self isolate for 10 days from the day your symptoms started. If you live with other people your household should self-isolate for 14 days.
You should also book a test as soon as possible.
There are a number of ways a person with symptoms of the virus can get tested in Northern Ireland. These are:
Key messages:
You should now book a test https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test
Everyone in Northern Ireland with symptoms of COVID-19 is eligible for a free test. If you’re not sure if you have symptoms, you can check using the COVID-19 symptom checker (https://check.covid-19.hscni.net/).
You should get tested in the first 3 days of coronavirus symptoms starting.
To clarify:
If you book a drive-through test you can choose your local test centre. Testing centres are available throughout Northern Ireland.
All centres are open 9.30am – 5.30pm, seven days a week
In addition to the four fixed sites, mobile testing units operate across the province. For more information visit https://www.publichealth.hscni.net/covid-19-coronavirus/testing-and-tracing-covid-19/testing-covid-19