Covid Tests Will No Longer Be Free In England From Next Week
Free Covid testing will be scrapped from 1 April, with the move coming as part of the government's 'live with Covid' plan
As of next week, Covid tests will no longer be free in England.
Yesterday, 23 March, we marked two years since the country first went into lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19.
We are now set to reach a further milestone on 1 April, as the government will no longer be offering free Covid testing for people living in England.
Instead, English citizens will have to pay if they want to test for Covid.
The move comes as part of the government's plan to 'live with Covid', in which the nation will plough forward without self-isolation and restrictions.
The Government website says: "The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22.
"With Omicron now the dominant variant and less severe, levels of high immunity across the country and a range of strategies in place including vaccines... the value for taxpayers' money is now less clear.
"Free testing should rightly be focused on at-risk groups."
Now, at-home lateral flow tests will only be free for a small number of at-risk groups, who will be able be able to get rapid test boxes at no extra cost.
The same also applies to PCR tests, which will no longer be free on the NHS unless someone falls into the high-risk category.
Covid infection rates are currently rising in the UK.
On Monday, Professor Chris Witty tweeted: "COVID-19 rates are still very high, and rising again.
"Vaccines substantially reduce rates of severe disease and hospitalisation but there is some reduction of effect over time.
"If you are over 75 or immunosuppressed and the NHS contacts you for a booster please take up the offer."
In light of the news, social media users have been showing off their Covid test stockpiles, collected before the new rule comes into effect.
However, those who are not high-risk have been encouraged not to order them.
Many have reached a dead end on the website, as there appears to be no more boxes available.
The new rule has also been met with confusion within the NHS, as staff are unsure whether tests will still be free for them.
The NHS Confederation revealed that health workers may be forced to pay around £50 a month for tests, and have now called for clarity over the contentious issue.
The Department of Health and Social Care said that more details will be set out 'shortly'.
Featured Image Credit:Topics: UK News, News, Coranavirus
Abigail Murray