People In England To Be Offered Twice-Weekly Rapid COVID-19 Tests - UK Prime Minister
Fahad Shabbir (@FahadShabbir) Published April 05, 2021 | 01:16 PM
People in England will be offered rapid COVID-19 tests twice a week from April 9, as part of the UK government's plan to stop the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and reopen business and society, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday
LONDON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 05th April, 2021) People in England will be offered rapid COVID-19 tests twice a week from April 9, as part of the UK government's plan to stop the spread of the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and reopen business and society, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Monday.
"As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted. That's why we're now rolling out free rapid tests to everyone across England - helping us to stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy," Johnson said as quoted in a statement released by the Department of Health and Social Care.
Although the prime minister and his health advisers are expected to give more details about the rollout of the lateral flow test at a press conference on Monday afternoon, the statement said that from April 9, rapid test kits will be available through community testing, local pharmacies participating on the testing program, or they could be collected directly from the test site during specific time windows or ordered online.
Rapid testing has so far been available to those most at risk and people who need to leave home for work, including frontline health workers, care home staff and residents, and schoolchildren and their families.
Anyone who tests positive using a lateral flow test will be expected to self-isolate along with their household. They can then order a second PCR COVID-19 test, typically used for symptomatic cases, which will be sent off to a laboratory for analysis, the government explained.
In case the confirmatory test comes back negative, their quarantine period is considered over immediately and they can resume normal life.
At Monday's press briefing, Johnson is also expected to outline plans for the so-called "vaccine passport" or COVID-status certificates recording whether holders have been vaccinated, had a recent negative test or developed natural immunity to the virus.
According to UK media, Johnson will also confirm that the UK is preparing to allow holiday travel abroad by introducing a "traffic light" system where travel destinations will be split into "green light", "amber light" and "red light" zones. The categories will be afforded based on each country's vaccination progress and COVID-19 infection rates.
Related Topics
Recent Stories
Non-Muslim Pakistanis enjoy freedom, state patronage: Kundi
Dengue Control Committee gathers in Jhang
BHP launches $38.8 billion takeover bid for rival Anglo American
Saudi oil giant Aramco agrees major FIFA sponsorship deal
Awais Leghari meets Chief Minister Sindh
Putin says plans to visit China in May
IHC adjourns cipher case till April 30
Identification specifics required to know about lawmakers put on travel stop lis ..
Court stops PTI founder, his wife from provocative statements against institutio ..
Experts demand stakeholder intervention to boost tax-net, revitalize taxation re ..
Higher taxes, awareness help decrease cigarettes sale in Pakistan
Sindh Minister of Works and Services Ali Hassan Zardari reviews ongoing projects ..
More Stories From Health
-
Vaccines save at least 154 million lives in 50 years: WHO
1 day ago -
UHS to issue MBBS degrees within three months after final result
1 day ago -
Rawalpindi woman gives birth to six babies
6 days ago -
DC calls for intensive anti-polio drive in ICT
7 days ago -
World Hemophilia Day observed to underscore importance of providing comprehensive care
8 days ago -
Six in a family with heart on the 'right side'
8 days ago
-
Diabetic disease increasing rapidly : Dr. Noor Elahi Memon
8 days ago -
World Hemophilia Day observed
8 days ago -
ATC dismisses bail petition of doctor involved in illegal kidneys transplant
16 days ago -
Dr. Shehzad warns against deviation from WHO guidelines on anti-smoking
16 days ago -
Health activists express concerns over attempts to derail tobacco control
18 days ago -
UHS declares MBBS first prof, MS urology exam results
27 days ago