A drive-thru testing centre available for peninsula based key workers, carers and their families, showing Covid-19 symptoms has opened in Babergh today.

The centre has been erected at the park and ride area at the Copdock interchange, just off the A14, and the first members of staff arrived from 07.30 this morning to be tested.

It is an invite-only testing centre with only those with symptoms being asked to attend by appointment in their car. All frontline staff will need to go through their own organisations process first or have called the NHS 111 service.

A text will be sent and the person asked to attend where community nurses will take a mouth and nose swab. The aim is for results to be returned within 48 hours with advice on what to do next.

Security staff at the Copdock site are checking staff as they arrive at the testing centre that they have an appointment.

Although used by Suffolk County Council, the site is within Babergh and council leader John Ward welcomed the facility and the key-wrkers.

"I am very pleased that the Copdock Park and Ride in Babergh has been selected as a Covid-19 test centre for key workers and their families," said Cllr Ward. "It is essential that we support them and give them the means to know for sure if they have the disease and can then isolate for a period before returning to work, safe in the knowledge that they won't pass it on to others.

"They are doing an amazing job, which we are all so grateful for, and this will provide some help which they deserve so much."

Facilities are in place at Stansted, one is being set up at Chelmsford and there are others at the Hartismere Hospital in Eye, Clacton and Newmarket Hospitals.