A NEW Covid 19 walk-in testing site has opened in Blantyre. 

The testing centre has launched at Springwell Neighbourhood Hall, and is available to use from today. 

It marks the 51st walk-through site located in Scotland, as part of the largest network of diagnostic testing facilities in British history. 

PCR tests, which is taken by those with symptoms of Covid-19, at the site must be booked in advance at nhsinform.scot/test-and-protect.

People can also order at-home lateral flow testing kits, which are used by those with no symptoms, for pick-up from the Springwell site.

READ MORE: O Sole Mio: Peek inside Glasgow restaurant's new Bath Street home

Maree Todd, Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport, said: “As restrictions ease, testing is more important than ever to help protect people around you, and the progress we’ve made so far.

"Rapid lateral flow testing is already helping us to find cases that might otherwise have been missed, as around 1 in 3 people with COVID-19 do not show symptoms.

“You should still get tested even if you have been vaccinated. While the latest evidence suggests vaccines provide a high level of protection against the effects of COVID-19, they don’t yet provide a guarantee that you can’t still get the virus or pass it on to others."