Four sites were opened in Dewsbury, Ravensthorpe, Batley and Huddersfield at noon on Friday.
John Hodgson, 63, had waited for over an hour to make sure he was first in line at The Walsh Building, next to Dewsbury Town Hall.
He was quickly followed by a steady stream of individuals and couples all ready to do their bit to help stem the rise of infections.
About 40 people in the queue for the opening of the rapid covid testing centre
John, of Dewsbury, said: “I live by myself and I want this for peace of mind. Everybody should get tested. It’s better for the town.”
A MAJOR programme of COVID-19 community testing will begin this week in Kirklees. From Friday, rapid tests for the virus will be available for anyone who does not have coronavirus symptoms. The programme will give everyone, aged 11 and over, who lives or works in Kirklees the chance to play their part in keeping their community safe. Four walk-in testing centres will open as part of the council’s latest bid to reduce rates of infection. Using Lateral Flow Testing technology, the rapid tests are easy to administer and results come back within 30 minutes. The council hopes that community testing will identify more cases and stop the spread of the virus.