Regular asymptomatic testing for Covid in all remaining settings in England will be paused from 31 August, as Covid cases continue to fall,The Government has confirmed
Free testing for the public ended on 1 April as part of the government’s Living with Covid plan, but asymptomatic testing continued to be used in some settings during periods of high case rates.
The vaccination programme means Covid cases have now fallen to 40,027 and the risk of transmission has reduced.
Deaths have fallen to 744 and hospitalisations to 6,005 in the last seven days, meaning wider asymptomatic testing can soon end as planned in most instances.
Symptomatic testing in high risk settings will continue.
Settings where asymptomatic testing of staff and patients or residents will be paused include the NHS (including independent health care providers treating NHS patients)
Adult social care and hospice services (apart from new admissions);
Parts of the prison estate and some places of detention; and Certain domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings.
Testing will remain in place for admissions into care homes and hospices from both hospitals and the community, and for transfers for immunocompromised patients into and within hospital to protect those who are most vulnerable.
Testing will also be available for outbreaks in certain high-risk settings such as care homes.
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay said:
Thanks to the success of our world-leading vaccination roll-out, we are able to continue living with Covid and, from 31 August, we will pause routine asymptomatic testing in most high-risk settings.
This reflects the fact case rates have fallen and the risk of transmission has reduced, though we will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with sectors to resume testing should it be needed. Those being admitted into care homes will continue to be tested.
Our upcoming autumn booster programme will offer jabs to protect those at greatest risk from severe Covid, and I urge everyone who is eligible to take up the offer.
