Brighton Amex stadium has been converted into a drive-through COVID-19 testing for National Health Service staff and other key workers during the Covid-19 pandemic.
While commenting about the development on Sunday April 19, 2020, Paul Barber, Brighton chief executive said, “It is hugely impressive, and a great triumph of both teamwork and hard work.”.
The Amex initiative is part of the government’s drive to partner with companies, universities and research institutes to increase field testing sites and new labs for NHS staff and other key workers who are working tirelessly to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
The Amex would be the south coast’s biggest coronavirus test center and would be able to carry out 1,000 tests per day.
“The Amex will be the biggest testing site anywhere on the south coast, and will be used for self-testing and assisted testing,” Barber said.
“The centre was scheduled to see more than 50 NHS frontline workers on Saturday afternoon, and they will have the results of their tests within 48 hours. Within a few days, the site should reach its capacity of up to 1,000 tests a day,” Barber added.
The Amex is being currently used for storage of NHS supplies, and there is a move to use the club’s training centre at Lancing for NHS training and local emergency services which would be available shortly.
“We have already opened up the doors of the training ground, as well as the stadium, to be used by the NHS, emergency services and local authority for training, storage or whatever they feel it can be used for in the fight against this pandemic,” said, Barber.
Barber further said that members of the club have been well trained and would be available on site on a daily basis.
“The members of our club and Sodexo staff who will be on site day to day have all been trained; and the level of attention detail is phenomenal. And, having visited the site today, the team spirit was truly humbling.
“We have committed to do everything we can to assist the NHS and other key workers in this crisis,” added Barber.
The NHS staff have also been promised 1,000 tickets by the club if fans can return to watch games.
