Millions of people in England can no longer get free coronavirus tests and have to buy them from the High Street or online. Scotland and Wales are also phasing them out at a slightly slower pace. Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the country needs to 'learn to live with Covid'
Mr Javid said it was right to “focus resources” on those people who still most needed testing, including some hospital patients and those at a high risk of severe Covid. Most people will now need to shop on the high street for paid-for tests if they want them and Manchester Evening News has done a price comparison which you can see below.
Ministers in England argue that even though infection levels have been rising, vaccines and antivirals are working to protect the vast majority of people. The most recent data shows there were 15,632 people in hospital in England with Covid-19 as of Wednesday, up 18 per cent week on week and the highest since January 19.
