Health officials of the United Kingdom want to begin charging Britons for Covid-19 tests, which are presently free, by the end of June, in what might be a controversial bet for the government, according to a report published by the news agency Reuters.
Rapid testing for Covid-19 has been the pathway chosen by the UK government to try and manage the spread of the highly -transmissible Omicron variable as the variant has already spread swiftly across the country even though the illness is caused by the variant is less severe than earlier variants of the virus.
Individuals and companies will shoulder the cost of the new plans of the government to stop the free distribution of easy-to-use lateral flow devices (LFDs) at a "later stage."
The Department of Health has refused to reveal the cost of the testing, claiming commercial contracts as an excuse. According to the report quoting a source, a pack can cost up to 30 pounds ($40.75).
Since April, the tests have been available for free to acquire from online ordering or picking up at local pharmacies.
More than 8 million LFDs were performed between December 30 and January, which was the largest weekly figure on record, said the UK Health Security Agency.
The move has been postponed by the government from earlier this year due to the advent of the Omicron variant, according to a document seen by Reuters that was exchanged between health officials to develop contingencies for the change.
That target might shift again if the coronavirus presents a "curve ball," as one official close to the health service put it, potentially in the form of a new strain, delaying the plans once more.
In Britain, where there is intense pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson over him attending an event in the yard of his Downing Street residence during a Cvoid-19 lockdown, combating the current wave of the pandemic is still amongst the highest priority on the political agenda.
Johnson has apologized for participating in the event, but a growing number of allegations of alcohol-fueled events at the heart of government have sparked calls for his resignation, including from some members of his own Conservative Party. find out more
According to Reuters, officials are now working on the assumption that an online ordering system will be available by the end of June to route most people, with the exception of important workers and a few others, to providers of paid-for LFDs in a "scale down of the Universal Testing Offer."
"We will continue to provide free tests as long as necessary. It is one of the most important lines of defence, alongside our vaccines programme," a government spokesman said when asked about the new date, claimed Reuters."With cases remaining high, we continue to process millions of tests a day – more than any European country – providing a free LFD to anybody who needs one."
Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi indicated earlier this month that a report in the Sunday Times about plans to halt the free mass supply of LFDs was false.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
Rapid testing for Covid-19 has been the pathway chosen by the UK government to try and manage the spread of the highly -transmissible Omicron variable as the variant has already spread swiftly across the country even though the illness is caused by the variant is less severe than earlier variants of the virus.
Individuals and companies will shoulder the cost of the new plans of the government to stop the free distribution of easy-to-use lateral flow devices (LFDs) at a "later stage."
The Department of Health has refused to reveal the cost of the testing, claiming commercial contracts as an excuse. According to the report quoting a source, a pack can cost up to 30 pounds ($40.75).
Since April, the tests have been available for free to acquire from online ordering or picking up at local pharmacies.
More than 8 million LFDs were performed between December 30 and January, which was the largest weekly figure on record, said the UK Health Security Agency.
The move has been postponed by the government from earlier this year due to the advent of the Omicron variant, according to a document seen by Reuters that was exchanged between health officials to develop contingencies for the change.
That target might shift again if the coronavirus presents a "curve ball," as one official close to the health service put it, potentially in the form of a new strain, delaying the plans once more.
In Britain, where there is intense pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson over him attending an event in the yard of his Downing Street residence during a Cvoid-19 lockdown, combating the current wave of the pandemic is still amongst the highest priority on the political agenda.
Johnson has apologized for participating in the event, but a growing number of allegations of alcohol-fueled events at the heart of government have sparked calls for his resignation, including from some members of his own Conservative Party. find out more
According to Reuters, officials are now working on the assumption that an online ordering system will be available by the end of June to route most people, with the exception of important workers and a few others, to providers of paid-for LFDs in a "scale down of the Universal Testing Offer."
"We will continue to provide free tests as long as necessary. It is one of the most important lines of defence, alongside our vaccines programme," a government spokesman said when asked about the new date, claimed Reuters."With cases remaining high, we continue to process millions of tests a day – more than any European country – providing a free LFD to anybody who needs one."
Education Minister Nadhim Zahawi indicated earlier this month that a report in the Sunday Times about plans to halt the free mass supply of LFDs was false.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
