A NORTH-EAST council has urged residents to keep following Covid guidelines while it sets up community testing for people without symptoms. 

Durham County Council was announced alongside 66 other local authorities in England to roll out quick result community testing programmes, for asymptomatic people.

Council areas in the North-East including Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, Gateshead, South Tyneside, Sunderland, Redcar and Cleveland, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough and Stockton were all on the list of authorities receiving lateral flow tests.

Lateral flow devices can produce results in around 20 minutes and are being offered to people without symptoms, who may be spreading the virus without realising. 

But Durham is yet to get rapid testing underway. 

Amanda Healy, Durham County Council’s director of public health, said: “We are progressing our plans for targeted community test centres in County Durham, and are currently working on proposals to implement lateral flow tests across a range of settings.

“Targeted community testing is one element of our overall approach to protecting individuals and reducing the risk of coronavirus transmission.

“In the meantime, it is vital we all continue to follow government and public health guidance by staying at home, washing hands regularly for at least 20 seconds, maintain social distancing and the use of face coverings, and do everything we can to reduce the risk of transmission to ourselves and others.

"PCR tests are available and can be booked for those who are showing coronavirus symptoms.”

It comes as Sunderland City Council revealed their community testing regime has stopped. 

Community testing is available in Darlington at The Dolphin Centre and other community centres in the borough, while next week testing is set to begin at Redcar Leisure Centre for key workers and people who cannot work from home.