A BORDERS coronavirus testing unit is extending its services to those with no symptoms.

The COVID-19 mobile testing unit (MTU) in the Teviotdale Leisure Centre car park, Mansfield Road, Hawick, will offer tests every day of the week to people living or working in the town.

When booking a test – online or over the phone – people should select the option titled ‘My local council or health protection team has asked me to get a test, even though I do not have symptoms’.

NHS Borders' public health director Tim Patterson said: "Extending the testing facility in Hawick to test people without symptoms will enable us to detect more cases of the virus and help prevent the spread."

Next-day appointments for the following morning are available from 6pm the evening before. Afternoon appointments can be available on the same morning.

No-one should attend the MTU without booking an appointment in advance.

If all appointment slots are filled, the Hawick centre will not appear as a site option.

Dr Patterson added: “Evidence suggests that up to a third of people who have COVID-19 do not have any symptoms.

“It [testing] is a quick process and I encourage anyone living in the Hawick area to make an appointment even if they currently feel well as some people can have COVID-19 without displaying any of the common symptoms.”

The Hawick MTU opened on August 28 last year in response to an outbreak in the town.

Residents attending the MTU should follow all coronavirus guidelines, including the wearing of face coverings, and maintaining the two-metre social distancing rule.

The testing unit is open seven days a week, and appointments can be booked online or over the phone by calling 0300 303 2713.