Free lateral flow tests are only going to still be available for a small number of groups including NHS staff and care staff.
Health Secretary Sajid Javid said that tests will no longer be free for the vast majority of the British public, meaning they will have to pay if they want to test under the new plans.
But the government announced today that a small number of groups will be able to still access the tests for free.
Even if someone is symptomatic they will no longer be told to test, instead urged to isolate until the symptoms pass.
From April 1, the tests are being massively scaled back as apart of the final stage of the government’s plan to live with Covid.
However, some people will still have access even after universal testing ends.
On top of this, the government did specify that if a new variant of concern emerges then it could be expanded once more.
After Friday, the groups who will still have access to free lateral flow tests, when they are asymptomatic, are:
• Patient-facing staff in the NHS and NHS-commissioned healthcare providers
• Staff in hospices and adult social care services
• A small number of care home visitors who provide personal care
• Staff in some prisons and places of detention
• Staff in high-risk domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings
Then, for people who have symptoms, more groups will still have access to testing whilst symptomatic. This will include:
• Certain hospital patients who need access to treatments and ongoing clinical surveillance for new variants.
• People who are otherwise eligible for community Covid treatments as they are more vulnerable,
• And people discharged from hospitals into care homes and similar settings.
During an outbreak accessibility to asymptomatic testing will be expanded further.
This will go on to include residential special needs and disability schools, and care home staff and residents.
Whilst the above will have access to tests when asymptomatic, there are plans in place to make sure free tests are available for some with Covid symptoms.
From now on, people who have symptoms, instead of testing, should try to stay home and avoid contact with other people until any symptoms pass.
This includes school children.
Mr Javid said: "Thanks to our plan to tackle COVID, we are leading the way in learning to live with the virus.
"We have made enormous progress but will keep the ability to respond to future threats including potential variants.
"Vaccines remain our best defence and we are now offering spring boosters to the elderly, care home residents and the most vulnerable - please come forward to protect yourself, your family, and your community."
One of the reasons the government withdrew the testing programme, as well as believing the country had progressed past the need for such surveillance, was due to the heavy costs.
The government said free testing, tracing and isolation cost more than £15.7 billion over the past two years.
