A minister has hinted that Boris Johnson is likely to announce an end to the provision of free lateral flow tests when he outlines his “living with Covid” plan next week, PA reports.
James Heappey, the armed forces minister, said it was time to reconsider whether some pandemic measures should remain in place as he argued Britons need to “change behaviours” in the face of future Covid variants potentially being less threatening.
The prime minister is set to outline his post-pandemic plan of action when parliament returns from recess on Monday, having already stated he will aim within days of his statement to lift the requirement in England for those who test positive for Covid to self-isolate.
There have also been reports that as part of the prime minister’s blueprint for the future, the UK government will no longer provide free lateral flow tests (LFTs) to the public.
Asked on Sky News whether the offer of free quick-result tests to allow people to check whether they are positive for coronavirus would be “taken away”, Heappey said:
I think that is the direction of travel but the prime minister will shortly announce his conclusions on that.
Johnson’s administration has been warned that the public could be left “flying blind” on Covid if left without free testing provision.
LBC, which first reported about free tests being scrapped, also said the availability of free PCR tests could also be withdrawn as part of the changes, with the suggestion the UK would move to a paid-for model if people want to test themselves for the virus.
The Liberal Democrats’ health spokesperson, Daisy Cooper, said scrapping free tests while case rates were “still sky high” would “leave the public and scientists flying blind” and increase the risk of another lockdown.
The SNP and Labour have also criticised the touted plan, with Keir Starmer arguing that ending free coronavirus testing would be “a mistake” and would increase the risk of transmission.
On Wednesday the Association of Directors of Public Health (ADPH) warned that with coronavirus yet to become endemic and it being “difficult to predict when this state may be attained”, scaling back free tests could weaken the UK’s defences if a new variant of the virus emerges that results in “significant new waves” of cases.
The group also said forcing people to pay for lateral flow tests would also have a “detrimental impact” on take-up, particularly among disadvantaged communities. A briefing note said:
Significant levels of cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to disrupt and devastate individuals, public services and the economy. There remains a degree of unpredictability about the course ahead.
Heappey said he understood the concern around withdrawing the offer of free LFTs, especially for people wanting to know their Covid status before visiting vulnerable relatives.
However, the minister said the country was “moving to a different phase” and that pandemic habits would have to change. He said:
We are moving from a period of pandemic into a period of endemic and I think that there is a mindset adjustment that we are all going to need to make as we accept that the expectation is that future variants of Covid will be as mild or, more probably, milder than Omicron.
That means we can change our behaviours and worry less about the need to have tested ourselves, and everything else. But the prime minister will bring forward revised measures.
I understand why people are concerned – it has become habit and it is a reassurance – but the reality is we are moving to a different phase of this now and I think it is probably time to reconsider whether some of the measures that were in place over the last 18 months need to endure.
The government has previously said “universal free provision” of LFTs will come to an end at some stage, although it has said no decision has been taken on timings when responding to reports there could be an announcement on the ending of free testing next week.
