Boots to offer customers a 12-minute Covid-19 test within the next few weeks
Boots is to introduce a new Covid-19 swab test that can return results in as little as 12 minutes.
In a statement, the health and beauty retailer said the service will use new LumiraDx devices which will be rolled out to selected stores in the coming weeks. With the service being aimed specifically at people who do not have symptoms, Boots said it will enable customers to quickly get peace of mind and reduce inappropriate use of the Government’s testing programme. However, it can not be used as a pre-flight test as this would require the results to be processed via a registered lab instead of an in-store machine.
Boots has also announced that a service has been introduced in ten of its stores in London, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh and Glasgow for customers who need a test before flying abroad and for people who want peace of mind before seeing friends and family. Due to rolled out to over 50 stores in the next few weeks, this test provides results in 48 hours. Depending on demand and feedback, the service may be extended to 200 stores over the coming months.
To use the service, customers are asked to complete a registration form and book an appointment through an online portal on the retailer’s webite. Once the customer is in-store, a testing-trained member of Boots’s team will facilitate the swab test, package the swab and send it to a laboratory for testing.
Seb James, managing director of Boots, said: “Boots has supported the Government’s Covid-19 testing programme from the very start and offering this new in-store service is the next step in our efforts to fight against the pandemic.
“We hope that by offering this testing option in local community stores, Boots can help ease pressure on the NHS and the Government by providing additional access to testing and crucial reassurances for people across the UK.
“As part of the UK High Street for over 170 years, Boots is proud to serve on the front line alongside the NHS and we will continue to do our part to support the nation’s healthcare needs during this challenging time and beyond.”
