Drive-through COVID-19 testing centre to open at Edgbaston for NHS staff members

Facilities set up in the car park of Warwickshire's headquarters will soon offer NHS workers tests for the disease without having to leave their vehicles

• ECB CEO: Coronavirus poses "the biggest challenge" in our history
• Free chicken and keeping kids active: How counties are coping with lockdown

Edgbaston Cricket Ground is to become the latest site to host a drive-through COVID-19 testing centre dedicated to NHS workers.

The longtime home of Warwickshire cricket will open its main car park "in the coming days" to allow frontline healthcare staff from across the Birmingham and West Midlands regions to have easy access to diagnostic facilities.

Tests will take place without the need for those undertaking them to leave their vehicles, with the site remaining in place for as long as it is required.

Similar centres have already been opened at an Ikea store location in north London, the headquarters of pharmacy chain Boots in Nottingham, and the Chessington World of Adventures theme park.

Neil Snowball, Warwickshire's chief executive, described the volunteering of the county's facilities as a natural course of events following the ECB's decision to postpone the start of the professional cricket season.

"With our county cricket programme and conference and events business closed until 29 May, our staff have been exploring various options which enable the club to keep supporting our local community during these difficult times," he said.

"Whilst it is a small part to play in the grand scheme of things, we are pleased that our stadium can be utilised to support the fantastic efforts being made by all of our NHS staff in response to the coronavirus crisis.

A statement from NHS England added: "The NHS and its staff are working hard and services across the country are putting in place pragmatic and safe measures to respond to the unprecedented global health threat.

"The innovative drive-through at Edgbaston Cricket Ground will ensure staff with symptoms get tested promptly so they can continue caring for patients where possible and also protect themselves, families and patients against the virus."