The majority of people who want to be tested for COVID-19 will have to fork out for their own lateral flow tests from this Friday under new plans put forward by ministers.
The government has announced who will be eligible for free tests when free universal testing in England comes to an end.
People have been discouraged from ordering packs of lateral flow tests (LFTs) from the government website in a last-minute scramble to get hold of them by 1 April.
LFTs available in UK pharmacies for less than £2
For those wondering how to get hold of lateral flow tests after Friday, the UK's leading pharmacy chains are all selling them in-store and on their websites.
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Lloyds Pharmacy is selling lateral flow test kits in a selection of quantities to suit customer needs, including single tests for just £1.89 or up to a pack of five for £9.29 (£1.86 per test), available in-store and online.
The chain is also offering a range of PCR and lateral flow in-store and at-home testing services starting from £12.99.
PCR testing services provide results within 24 to 36 hours, while lateral flow test services can provide results within 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, Boots Pharmacy is offering lateral flow test kits in more than 400 of its stores and online - from £2 for one single test and £9.80 for a pack of five.
Superdrug Pharmacy confirmed to Sky News that it has "widespread availability" of LFTs available in-store and online, with a single test priced at £1.99 and a pack of five costing £9.79.
From Friday, Tesco Pharmacy will be selling LFTs in 1,500 Tesco stores across the UK, starting at £2. Those living in London will also be able to purchase these online, with a wider online UK rollout to follow from May onwards.
And Morrisons Pharmacy is selling single lateral flow tests for £1.75 in-store.
Will I have to legally take a lateral flow test if I have COVID symptoms?
No. There is no law that states people must be tested for coronavirus, however, some employers might want to bring in testing as part of their workplace policy as infections are still high as a precautionary measure.
Employers who want to test employees for COVID who are not displaying symptoms will need to source and pay for the tests privately.
The government is now urging people in England who have a cough or cold to "stay home and avoid contact with other people" under new COVID guidance which will be issued on 1 April.
Those who test positive or have COVID symptoms and need to leave home will be urged to wear masks, avoid crowded places and stay away from people with weakened immune systems.
The legal requirement to self-isolate after a positive test in England ended on 24 February.
Forming part of the government's Living with COVID plans, the latest advice has been updated to include information on who will still be eligible for free COVID-19 tests.
Free tests will still be available to some NHS, social care and hospice staff without symptoms of COVID when rates of the virus are high.
What about testing in schools?
Schools and colleges across England will stop regular lateral flow testing.
But Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi said more details on LFTs will be set out on Friday, and did not rule out more testing in schools due to high infection rates.
He told the BBC's Sunday Morning show: "We will say a bit more about testing on 1 April of course as to what the policy is."
He said there were "around 200,000" children currently off school due to COVID.
"It has ticked up a little bit because infection rates are high but if we have not broken, we have weakened the link between infection rates and severe infection and hospitalisation because of the vaccination," he said.
Infections rising
The end of free universal tests comes despite infections and hospital admissions rising in recent weeks, but the government said more than 55% of those in hospital that have tested positive have not been admitted with COVID-19 as their primary diagnosis.
The government said free universal testing, tracing, and isolation funding has come "at a significant cost to the taxpayer", costing more than £15.7bn between 2021 and 2022.
It added that the vaccination programme and access to antivirals, alongside natural immunity and increased scientific and public understanding about how to manage risk, means the population now has much stronger protection against COVID "than at any other point in the pandemic".
People scrambling to order the last available lateral flow tests are being discouraged from ordering packs when they try to access them online.
@nabob @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @Flossy 🍰🍰🍰 @renatew5😺🐶 @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @Tanith @harryflatters @roz and anyone else interested
@nabob hope you feel better soon. Keep an eye on the faint line, when hubby had it, one day line was faint, next day it was bold again. I just gave him hot lemon and honey, rarely he took paracetamol, apparently ibupophen is bad to take with C19, can't remember where and when I read it. [@Happygirl] sorry to hear your friends still feel ill, but some do catch it mild, hubby did, and I had no symptoms. And a friend of mine was mild too. Hubby of a friend, caught it 3 times feeling worse each time.
@roz thanks for that, lovely. Cheered me up.
Mr nabob was clear today, day 13! I am on day 9 and had a faint line this morning. I have been quite poorly with lots of symptoms the worst being the cough and sneezing which hurt my ribs SO SO much. Managed a walk today so slowly improving. @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 [@Happygirl] [@Happygirl] @roz @Pinkaholic79 💖🦄🌺 @harryflatters @Flossy 🍰🍰🍰
The big pharmacies are reporting that they have plenty of both types of test and have been competing on price, which is good for us!! Beware the 'from 99p per test' price online - they don't include VAT or delivery! You could end up paying £5 for one test!! - around £1.50 to £2 in Boots etc.
Steven phoned me this morning, wanting to know if I needed anything from the shops. He was doing a little bit of shopping for some cough & cold remedies and some credit for the gas & electric meter. He is not prepared to pay for the flow tests. Nor am I. I don't have any contact with people as such and when going shopping, I wear a mask on entering the premises. If I have to use the bus, I am wearing a mask and thin surgical gloves and my trusty hand gel is always to hand. I have the sneezes at present but that is the visit of my annual friend hay fever. You cannot blame any sniff or sneeze or even a sore throat on a Covid variant. It is proven that quite a high rate of flow tests give false results. It is like throwing good money after bad (even with £2 per test). That amount of £2 is better spent on some fruit or a cheap box of fruit & veg in Lidl. They still do them, or some fruit from any other shop. @Janet 💋🍰🍝🍹 @Happygirl
If it were not so serious, I would name it an April's fool joke.
Hope that helps ♥