A new coronavirus testing site has begun operating in a town's car park.

The new walk-through coronavirus testing facility at Belvedere Road car park, in Lowestoft, opened on Wednesday, February 10 and will be available only to those with coronavirus symptoms after booking a test online.

With a temporary testing facility constructed on site, the new centre is being operated for the use of the Department of Health and Social Care in partnership with G4S, offering self-administered tests.

Testing at this site is only available for those with coronavirus symptoms, and anyone attending an appointment at a walk-through test site will be provided with guidance on getting to and from the test site safely.

Appointments are being made available each day.

Those being tested will be required to follow public health measures, including social distancing, practising good personal hygiene and wearing a face covering throughout, including while travelling to and from the testing centre.

Anyone testing positive for the virus in England will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace to help them trace their contacts. This will help to identify who they may have been in close contact with, protecting others from further transmission.

Close contacts of those testing positive will also hear from NHS Test and Trace, asking them to stay at home for ten days to prevent them from unknowingly spreading the virus.

Health Minister, Lord Bethell, said: “To respond to the coronavirus, we have built a major testing and tracing system from scratch.

“New walk-in sites like this one makes it even easier to get a test no matter where you live."

Alex Lever, Managing Director of G4S’s Testing Site Programme, said: "The Lowestoft walk-through site will play a key role in supporting the national response to the pandemic and we are extraordinarily proud of our dedicated employees at Covid-19 testing sites across the UK."

Anyone experiencing one or more symptoms of a high temperature, a new continuous cough, or a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste, should book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling 119.