Organisations with 10 or more employees are being urged to sign up for a workplace testing scheme set up by the Scottish Government.
The voluntary testing regime involves giving workers lateral flow tests to identify cases early.
Covid testing in workplaces has previously been targeted as a priority area of the public sector – due to it being critical to national infrastructure and private businesses potentially having higher transmission rates.
Organisations with less than 10 employees can direct their workforce to collect LFD test kits from a local pharmacy or Covid-19 test site or order online for home delivery.
Asymptomatic testing is an ‘important tool’ to stop transmission
Public Health Minister Maree Todd said: “Testing has a vital role to play as we move safely out of lockdown and this rollout of workplace testing to cover all companies with 10 staff or more builds on our strategy to tackle Covid-19.
“The vaccination programme has been a major success, however even though you are fully vaccinated it does not guarantee that you cannot catch the virus and pass it on without knowing you have it. Asymptomatic testing will remain an important tool in breaking future chains of transmission.
“As more staff continue to return to the workplace in the months ahead, we must do all we can to ensure this is done as safely as possible.
“Workplace asymptomatic testing can play an important part in the recovery and organisations across our business, third and public sectors can contribute to this.
“It’s vital that all results are reported to ensure we understand the prevalence of the virus and halt further transmission.
“I would encourage all organisations who are eligible to sign up for workplace testing and play their part in our recovery from the pandemic.”
The workplace testing expansion has been introduced in response to requests from organisations and representative bodies from a range of sectors.
Testing will initially run till the end of September in line with universal testing that is already available.
Eligible Scottish organisations can find information online.
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