Book an asymptomatic COVID test.

You may feel fine, but it is good to know that you are OK to protect your friends, housemates, cohort and wider community.

The lateral flow test is :

• An approved and trusted way of testing. 

• A quick and easy swab with the process only taking about 15 minutes and results available in 1 hour or less.

• Safe - managed by the NHS Test and Trace Team, with the testing sites overseen by the University following the government guidelines.

Regular testing will help to break the chains of transmission, identify asymptomatic infections and help further ensure your safety on campus.

All Christ Church students coming on to campus are expected to take tests before returning and then on an ongoing basis, twice a week. 

• This includes students who commute to campus. If you have a local community asymptomatic test centre near to you, please book your tests there, close to the time you are coming on to campus. 
• KMMS students can book themselves in either the Christ Church or University of Kent test centres.
• Placement students may be offered tests by their placement providers. In addition you can make use of your local asymptomatic test centres. If you return from your placement to campus for learning and teaching or to use the facilities, then we also recommend you book an asymptomatic test beforehand.
• This includes students who have had the vaccination.

They are not for: 

• Those who have COVID-19 symptoms and need to self- isolation.
• Those who have had a positive test within 90 days

If you do not get tested, you should self-isolate for 10 days, to reduce the risk of transmission between home and university.

Staff

The asymptomatic testing scheme has also been extended to staff – if you are a member of staff who will be physically present on campus, we encourage you to arrange an asymptomatic test twice a week.

Yes, you should still take part in the asymptomatic testing scheme if you have received one or two doses of the coronavirus vaccine - even if you have been vaccinated, you are still able to transmit the virus to other people. It is not possible for the vaccine to cause a positive result, so please follow existing self-isolation advice if you receive a positive asymptomatic test result after having the vaccine.

For the latest government advice for international travelers please click here. 

Anyone arriving in England will need to either:

• self-isolate in the place they’re staying for 10 days. Under the Test to Release scheme you can choose to pay for a private COVID-19 test after you have been in England for 5 full days. If the result is negative, you can stop self-isolating.
• quarantine in a government approved hotel for 10 days

What you need to do depends on where you have been in the 10 days before you arrive in England.

Students arriving from all international destinations will be required to:

• take a coronavirus (COVID-19) test and get a negative result during the 3 days before you travel
• book and pay for a travel test package, which will include COVID-19 tests to be taken on or before day 2 and on or after day 8 of your quarantine. This costs £210
• complete a passenger locator form with details of where you will home quarantine when you arrive and the travel test package booking reference number

Please note that the asymptomatic tests would not be valid for any of the above purposes.

Once here and self-isolation has been completed international students can access our asymptomatic test centre for ongoing regular twice weekly tests. 

We work in partnership with our placement providers to support you into a safe working environment. This means that your placement organisation will have risk assessments in place to provide a COVID secure environment and this often includes the opportunity to take a COVID test with them.

If students are on a placement and not attending university facilities, they should follow and participate in any testing regime in place at their placement. It is not necessary to travel to university to be tested before travelling to a placement, unless this is advised by the placement provider.

If you return from your placement to campus for learning and teaching or to use the facilities then we also recommend you book asymptomatic tests beforehand.

If you have any questions, please contact your Programme/Placement Team for advice and support.

You must book the test in advance:

• Canterbury Test Centre, St Georges, click here
• For asymptomatic test centres in Medway click here
• For asymptomatic test centres in Kent click here.
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This test is only for those who are not displaying symptoms. If you are displaying COVID-19 symptoms you need to book your test here.

Students and staff who have had a positive test within 90 days do not need to be tested. 

If students and staff know they are going to be tested on site, they should consider how they will travel back home in a way that protects others in case they should test positive. They should follow the guidance on keeping themselves, other passengers and transport staff safe during their journey.

Staff will be there to help you through this quick and easy process which takes about 15 minutes as follows:

• You need to bring a mobile phone, tablet or laptop so you can login into the NHS Test and Trace;

• You need to arrive at the test site at your allocated booking time and visit the registration desk;

• You will receive a test kit, test card with QR code and copies of a barcode;

• Scan the QR code on the test card and register;

• Go to the booth available;

• Attach barcode to Lateral Flow Device and self-administer swab;

• Pass the swab through the booth to operative for processing;

• Leave the test site with barcode attached to test card;

• Receive and act on the results.

Please remember to wash you hands before you leave for and when you return from the test, wear face coverings and maintain social distancing.

Research suggest that the current lateral flow test has been found to have high specificity but with slightly lower sensitivity i.e. potential to miss some COVID-19 positive cases. Therefore, the Government recommends you need to take two tests within 3 days of each other. You should also continue to follow the Government guidelines including following social distancing, wearing face covering and washing your hands regularly. 

The Government has asked students to be tested at the point they return to campus. Then once back on campus to be tested regularly, twice a week. 

You do not need to take a test or self-isolate if you have tested positive within the last 90 days and are clear of symptoms. 

Testing before returning to campus

You should have 3 tests at an on-site testing facility (3-4 days apart) and limit social interactions with other students until a negative test is confirmed. 

If you do not get tested, you should self-isolate for 10 days, to reduce the risk of transmission between home and university.

Testing once back on campus

The government is recommending that any students living in their term-time accommodation or accessing any University facilities (even if you are not attending face-to-face teaching) should take an asymptomatic test twice a week.

The asymptomatic testing scheme has also been extended to staff – if you are a member of staff who will be physically present on campus, we encourage you to arrange an asymptomatic test twice a week.

All Christ Church students coming on to campus are expected to be tested.

If you commute to University and you have a local test centre near you please book your tests there, close to the time you are coming on to campus. 

If you have a local community asymptomatic test centre near to you, please book your tests there.  

• Canterbury Test Centre, St Georges, Tuesday and Friday, 9.30am - 5pm - click here
• For asymptomatic test centres in Medway click here
• For asymptomatic test centres in Kent click here.
• If you are unable to attend a test centre for any reason, you may also order test kits that you can carry out at home.

While awaiting your result (typically it takes 30 minutes - 1 hour), the student or staff member should not interact with others to avoid virus transmission.

Positive Test

Upon notification of a positive test result, students and staff are legally required to self isolate immediately on the day of the test and for at least the following ten full days and contact tracing will be initiated.

Following a positive LFD test result, students and staff should take a follow-up polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test as soon as possible. If a student or staff member takes a PCR test within 2 days of the LFD test and receives a negative result, they and their household can stop self-isolating. However, self-isolation must continue if:

• the PCR test result is positive
• no follow-up PCR test is taken
• the PCR test result is negative but the test was taken more than 2 days after the LFD test

If you are a student you should let the University know by completing this form so we can advise and support you. If you are a member of staff please complete this form. 

Negative Test

• Even if you are negative remember you still have to follow the latest Government guidelines. This will include social distancing, wearing face coverings and regularly washing your hands. 

Contact Tracing

Through asymptomatic testing you might be told that you’re a close contact of someone who has tested positive for COVID-19. You will need to self-isolate for 10 days and let the university know by completing this form. If you develop symptoms you will need to book a test here. 

If you do not receive your results please contact NHS Test and Trace on 119. 

If you have symptoms or test positive for COVID-19 you will have to self-isolate for 10 days and your household, support bubble or close contacts will also have to self-isolate for 10 days.

We are here to support you throughout your self-isolation, ensuring you can stay safe, well and continue with your studies as much as possible.

Click here for details.

If you are displaying COVID-19 symptoms do not come to the asymptomatic test centre. You need to book your test here.

Please let the University know by completing this form.

Remember to follow the government guidance on self-isolation. Self-isolation, whilst disruptive for those affected, is an essential part of the fight against the virus. 

The university offers a range of support for those in self-isolation. 

Lateral flow tests are very accurate (highly specific), which means that only a very small proportion of people who do not have coronavirus will receive a positive result (false positive). However, in mass testing, because so many people without symptoms are being tested there is still the possibility of getting a false positive result. If you test positive, you should book a PCR test by the NHS website to confirm your result. 

A negative test result provides information about the level of the virus at one point in time. There is, however, the potential for the test result to be a false negative and that an individual is infected with Covid-19, but not yet have a high enough level of the virus for this to be registered by the LFD test. There is also the potential for an individual to become infected in the hours or days after taking a LFD test. It is therefore extremely important that every individual:

• Follows the latest UK Government rules on social distancing; and
• Maintains sensible control measures such as “hand, face, space” (washing your hands, wearing a face covering, and maintaining social distance with those outside your household), keeping to the “rule of 6” outdoors, and not mixing with other households indoors.

The test is an additional control to be used in conjunction with the other measures.

Due to the potential for the LFD test to return an incorrect result to an individual, Canterbury Christ Church University cannot guarantee that the LFD test result an individual receives is accurate. Consequently, Canterbury Christ Church University does not make any warranties or representations as to the accuracy or completeness of the LFD Test and under no circumstances will Canterbury Christ Church University accept liability for any loss, damage, liability or expense incurred or suffered by an individual which results from or is in connection with an individual having taken an LFD test provided by Canterbury Christ Church University.

A copy of the result will be sent to the individual’s GP. Positive results are also sent to Public Health England.

To find out how we use your personal data when you register for a coronavirus test, read the coronavirus privacy notice