New testing centre opens at Billingham Forum Ice Arena

The car park at Billingham Forum Ice Arena closed on Wednesday to make way for a new mobile testing hub ahead of fresh lockdown restrictions kicking in.

Council officials have pointed to alternative free parking nearby at Queensway and Kingsway in the meantime.

Authority bosses had called for extra testing capacity in the borough last month in response to rising rates in the area.

Billingham’s new hub follows the mobile testing site launched on the Headland in Hartlepool a week earlier.

It comes as England moves into a second national lockdown prompted by soaring case figures and worrying predictions for the situation if action isn’t taken.

Rolling seven day case rates have fallen in the past week across Teesside.

Stockton’s rate stood at 447.4 cases per 100,000 people last week but the latest NHS dashboard data between October 26 and November 1 now shows a rate of 341.0 per 100,000.

However, the borough still has the highest rate in the North East.

Meanwhile, Billingham’s central ward had a seven day covid rate of 327.5 per 100,00 up to October 29 – which had also fallen when compared to the previous week.

Cllr Clare Gamble, chairwoman of Billingham Town Council, welcomed the new site to give residents better access to tests.

She added: “I think having more testing within the local area is a good thing and the fact it’s on our doorstep means the town centre is easily directly accessible for most of our community.

“My only concern would be traffic flow with it being so close to the town centre.

“We will see how that goes and it’s something we’ll be keeping an eye on.”

Restrictions coming into force at midnight on Wednesday will see non-essential retail outlets close across the nation with people urged to stay at home.

:: Anyone with symptoms can book or order a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus. Those unable to access the internet can call 119

Support your Mail and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest on Pools and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe.