LINWOOD residents have been thanked for joining the battle to defeat coronavirus after it was revealed almost 400 of them took part in a week-long testing drive to reduce infection rates.

A total of 396 people visited the temporary Covid-19 community testing centre at the Tweedie Hall between April 21 and April 27.

No new positive cases were found in the community as a result of these tests.

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The drop-in centre, run and staffed by Renfrewshire Council, was open to anyone without symptoms of the virus who lives, works or goes to school in Linwood.

Chris Dalrymple, the council’s chief environmental health officer, told The Gazette: “I would like to thank everyone in Linwood who turned up and took a test. It was great to see a good turnout.

"Around five per cent of Linwood’s population came along to the testing centre, which compared well with other sites in other areas of the country.

“Asymptomatic testing is helping us stop the spread of Covid-19 in Renfrewshire and, by taking a test, you have helped to protect your loved ones and your community.”

The tests used at the centre were lateral flow tests, which are processed on site and see results returned via text message within 45 minutes.