UK Treasury pushes to end most free Covid testing despite experts’ warnings
The Treasury is pushing for most free Covid testing to end as soon as next month to save billions despite warnings from public health experts and scientists.
Several sources told the Guardian that Rishi Sunak’s department wants to end most PCR testing for people with Covid symptoms, possibly by the end of March. The exception would be those in hospitals, high-risk settings and for the 1.3m extremely vulnerable people who are eligible for antivirals if they contract Covid.
Under the plans, everyone else with symptoms would be either given some free lateral flow tests or no testing at all. A third option would be restricting the offer of lateral flows to symptomatic people over 50 and the clinically vulnerable. The advice for people without symptoms to take routine lateral flow tests is expected to be scrapped entirely.
In Europe, PCR tests can cost more than £30 each while some in the US are double that price. Rapid tests cost £5 to £10 in many countries.
It is understood the Treasury has been pushing for the lowest cost options of ending as much testing as possible amid concerns about the huge price tag for mass community testing, which has run into many billions throughout the pandemic.
However, the UK Health and Security Agency has been urging caution within the government and has been pushing to keep existing testing arrangements in place until at least 1 April.
One source said the Treasury had even questioned at one point whether PCR testing was still necessary for the immunosuppressed, who are eligible for antivirals if they test positive, although this was denied by the government.
It comes after Boris Johnson announced plans this week for an end to mandatory isolation for those who test positive for Covid in England, as
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