Businesses across Northern Ireland are introducing Rapid COVID-19 Testing to support a safe return to the workplace. Providing free and easy access to Rapid Tests helps to protect your staff and their families from the virus.
One in three people with COVID-19 show no symptoms of illness. With regular Rapid Testing, staff can find out if they are likely to be carrying the virus before they enter the workplace. Submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) now to access free test kits.
Regular Rapid Testing:
- Ensures business continuity and helps to prevent costly staff absences
- Promotes consumer and customer confidence in your business
- Helps to build and sustain the economic recovery
Rapid Testing for the manufacturing sector
Manufacturing is one of the most important pillars of our economy. However, some manufacturing workers are at particularly high-risk of becoming infected with COVID-19. Rapid Testing provides an early warning system to help keep your business open and safe this winter. Even workers who have been fully vaccinated are strongly recommended to test regularly as they can still catch the virus and pass it to others.
Rapid Testing for your business
Rapid Tests – also known as Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests – provide a result within 30 minutes. It’s recommended that staff should test twice a week. Testing is simple, quick and easy. Workers who take a test first thing in the morning will know their result before leaving the house.
Your business can quickly set up a workforce testing scheme, just submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) and the Department of Health will contact you to provide advice on what type of scheme will work best for your business. Employees can either take tests onsite or they can collect tests to take at home.
Employees of small businesses with less than ten staff can establish shared workforce schemes with other organisations, or encourage use of the free home delivery service or more than 550 collection sites across Northern Ireland.
Rapid Tests are accurate and reliable
Rapid Tests are 99.9 per cent accurate. For every 1,000 lateral flow tests carried out, there is less than one false-positive result.
It’s important to report every result, positive, negative or void to help scientists track the spread of COVID-19 and spot new outbreaks faster.
Rapid Tests are for those with no symptoms
Rapid Tests should only be used by those with no symptoms of COVID-19. Anyone with a positive Rapid Test result should self-isolate and book a confirmatory PCR test immediately. PCR tests are available at testing sites across Northern Ireland and can be booked at GOV.UK.
Don’t miss the chance to keep your workforce safe this winter, introduce regular Rapid Testing to stop COVID in its tracks. Sign-up now or read more about Workplace Testing