PUBLIC health chiefs have reminded Barrovians a mobile testing site is stationed in the town for the entirety of this week.

The county council has also told town residents that it is essential to have booked a test via the national portal in order to be processed at the testing site in the BAE Systems car park area.

Similarly, Furness General Hospital has urged those living in the area not to simply turn up at the hospital in search of a test.

A number of Furness residents have contacted The Mail to report difficulties and frustrations with booking a test locally in recent weeks.

One Barrow man was told he had to travel to Blackburn or Dumfries in order to access a testing site with availability last week, after a friend he had recently played golf with tested positive for the virus.

Although Cumbria gained 'testing prioritisation' status around 10 days ago, problems with access and availability in the county have persisted.

Last week, the director of NHS Track and Trace, Sarah-Jane Marsh, was forced to issue an apology to 'anyone who cannot get a test' as reports of testing shortages abounded across the UK.

All parts of Cumbria recorded a rise in Covid-19 cases over the weekend, with Barrow reportedly experiencing an increase of six people testing positive for the virus.

25 BAE workers were also sent home last week after a member of staff tested positive for Covid-19.

Five fresh cases were reported in Swarthmoor and Low Furness, along with five new cases in the Askam and Dalton North area, and three in Roose between September 4 and 10.

The rate of increase in Cumbria remains comparatively low, however.

A further nine deaths were recorded yesterday, as the Government's new 'rule of six' restriction - prohibiting public gatherings of more than six people at any one time - came into effect.

Another 2,621 cases were reported nationally yesterday, bringing the total number of recorded cases nationwide to 371,125.

The nine additional deaths means that the official death count nationally now stands at 41,637.

Monday's incidence figures compare with the 3,330 confirmed on Sunday - which marked the first time since May that cases had been above 3,000 on three consecutive days.

However, the numbers are considerably lower than the figures recorded during the springtime peak of the pandemic - when tens of thousands of cases were being reported daily.