Ministers told ending free lateral flow tests will provoke backlash

Ministers considering ending free Covid tests fear a backlash from the public after an opinion poll revealed widespread opposition to charges.

An announcement to end free lateral flow tests was expected within days as the UK Government ends all restrictions, including the requirement to self-isolate after a positive test, in England and Wales.

A Westminster blueprint for “living with Covid” was expected to set out plans to end the provision of free lateral flow kits. The Treasury has said the government could not indefinitely continue free testing that last year cost up to £10 billion.

The majority of the public seem to want testing to remain free of charge after the relaxing of restrictions, however, as YouGov poll found 83% of the public believe free lateral flow tests should continue to be available.

There was also widespread opposition to relaxing all Covid restrictions, with 66% saying some restrictions should remain in place while 70% support self-isolation.

Boris Johnson outlines his plans for easing England’s remaining restrictions tomorrow, while Nicola Sturgeon is due to update the Scottish Government’s Covid strategy on Tuesday.

The first minister said on Friday she did “not think a hard, sudden stop to all testing is appropriate”.

She argued a “careful, properly thought-out, phased transition to perhaps what later in the year – all being well – might be a more targeted approach to testing”.

Trades Union Congress leader Frances O’Grady said scrapping free Covid tests would be “madness” and disproportionately hit frontline workers during a cost of living crisis.

She said: “I think the key point here is that if they are going to lift restrictions they can’t gamble on people’s safety. It can’t be a licence to rip up, or cut corners in terms of people’s safety and public health.”

Dr David Nabarro, the World Health Organisation’s special envoy on Covid, told the BBC he also opposed the ending of self-isolation. “I think it’s really very unwise and I don’t understand why that’s been introduced,” he said.

“What we know about this virus is it is not good for people and simply treating it as though it is a harmless virus we think – that’s myself and colleagues in the WHO – we think that’s unwise.”