Halton Borough Council’s Director of Public Health is urging residents to get a Covid-19 test if they are showing any of the wider symptoms of the virus.

The three main symptoms of COVID-19 are a high temperature, a persistent cough or a loss of smell or taste. If you experience any of these symptoms you should self-isolate and get tested.

But if you are feeling generally unwell, with a combination of new symptoms you should also get tested. This is because there are other symptoms which people have also been testing positive with, they include:

  • Fever and chills
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • New persistent fatigue
  • A persistent headache
  • Muscle or body aches
  • Sore throat
  • Congestion or runny nose
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Diarrhoea

If you have a combination of any of these wider symptoms, you should get a test at one of Halton’s symptoms-only testing sites. If your result is positive then please self-isolate.

If you require medical advice please phone 111 or contact your GP as normal.

Eileen O’Meara, Director of Public Health for Halton, said: “The virus is constantly changing, and it is important we change with it to adapt our approach and keep people safe. We have found that people may not think they have COVID-19 because they do not have the classic symptoms and so we have widened the set of symptoms eligible for testing at our symptoms-only testing centres. This will help to ensure people are not spreading the virus without knowing.

“But remember, the very best way we can all keep each other safe, is to stay at home. If you must leave home, keep your distance, wear your face covering and wash your hands regularly.

“If you still need to go into work, or have to care for someone, get a regular no-symptoms test at either Grangeway Community Centre or Ditton Community Centre – these are sites for people with no symptoms, so it is really important you do not attend these sites if you have any of the classic Covid-19 symptoms or this wider range of symptoms.”

How to get a test:

Anyone with no symptoms: Grangeway Community Centre or Ditton Community Centre open Monday to Friday 8.30am to 6pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am to 2pm. No booking required. Occasionally, at busy times, you may need to queue but we are working very hard to ensure people get through the centre as quickly as possible, within 15 minutes in most cases. Please observe social distancing and wear face coverings when visiting the test centre. For more information go to www.halton.gov.uk/smart

Anyone with the three main Covid-19 symptoms should self-isolate and get a test at an NHS Test site; in Halton these are located at The Heath Business Park; behind St Paul’s Health Centre, High Street, Runcorn, or Kingsway, Widnes. You can book a test online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirustest or by calling 119.

Anyone with the wider range of Covid-19 symptoms should get a test at an NHS Test site; in Halton these are located at The Heath Business Park; behind St Paul’s Health Centre, High Street, Runcorn, or Kingsway, Widnes. You can book a test online at www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119. If your test result is positive, you should self isolate for 10 days.

For more information, including what support is available click here