A new walk-through Covid-19 testing centre has opened in Inverness.
Created by the UK Government, the new centre is located in the car park of the headquarters of Highland Council, and will be operated by Mitie.
The centre is one of 11 created in Scotland so far, with the Scottish Government aiming to have 22 open over the winter period.
READ MORE: Coronavirus Scotland: 1,433 new cases of Covid reported with 11 deaths reported in 24 hours
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced this week that Scotland aims to increase testing capacity to 65,000 tests per day by building three regional testing hubs in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen as well as increasing the amount of testing done by the UK Government.
Scotland Office minister David Duguid said: "The UK Government is helping all parts of the UK fight the coronavirus pandemic and this new walk-through testing centre in Inverness will make it easier for people to get tested.
"Testing is vital, helping to manage local outbreaks and protecting people's livelihoods.
"The UK Government is providing the bulk of Covid testing in Scotland, and this new walk-through centre is just the latest in our extensive testing network.
"We are pleased to be working with local and commercial partners. These sites are not possible without the hard work of many people and I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work to get this testing centre up and running."
Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said: "Working alongside the UK Government and local partners, the site in Inverness delivers on our commitment to have 11 walk-through centres in place across Scotland by the end of October with another 11 planned over the course of the winter.
"This is testament to the hard work and commitment of those working to set up the sites as well as those on the ground delivering tests at the centres.
"Containing and suppressing this virus relies on testing being accessible to everyone and this site will further increase our testing capacity ahead of potential spikes as we move into winter.
"Centres like this can be operational in a matter of days, and we are working at pace with NHS National Services Scotland and local authorities to roll out more across the country so that more people have access to local testing."
The Health Secretary said that the Scottish Government will continue to "adapt" the testing strategy during the pandemic, but added that testing is "only one effective intervention" which can be used to suppress the virus, with others including public hygiene guidance.
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