Access to free lateral flow device (LFD) tests in Wales will end on August 1, it has been announced by the Welsh Government. The scheme had been extended until the end of July because of rising Covid cases but health minister Eluned Morgan has announced that it is now set to end.
She said the approach Welsh Government continues to adopt is that Covid-19 is "not over" but added that the transition of the disease from pandemic to endemic status "needs to be determined by the public health conditions at the time".
The latest Office for National Statistics Covid-19 infection survey for the week ending July 20 estimated that 5.14% (one in 19) of the community population in Wales had coronavirus, down from 6.03% (one in 17) the previous week. Read more about the figures here. After an increase in cases of BA.4 and BA.5 sub-variants during June the Welsh Government extended access to free lateral flow tests for members of the public with symptoms of coronavirus until July 31. The expectation was for the wave to reach its peak before the end of July.
