The move to stop asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings such as hospitals, hospices, prisons and homeless shelters comes after cuts to funding to tackle Covid were imposed by Tory leadership candidate Rishi Sunak when he was chancellor. Testing for those showing Covid symptoms in these settings, including health and social care staff, will continue. Immunocompromised patients in hospitals and care homes will also continue to be tested. The decision to end asymptomatic testing will worry many health experts who have warned against ending Covid surveillance while cases remain high. The latest official figures show that deaths caused by the latest wave of Covid are on the decline. However, more than 5,700 deaths from Covid have been recorded since June 8 – a 95% increase on the same period last year, when there were 2,936 deaths from Covid across the UK. Routine tests could be reintroduced if, as expected, there is a surge of new cases in the fall. In April, the Guardian revealed that the UK Health Safety Agency (UKHSA) advised ministers to suspend routine asymptomatic testing in hospitals and care homes as early as May to save money ahead of a potential winter spike in cases. At the time, agency sources said funding for asymptomatic testing in high-risk settings was only enough to cover six months in a year, and senior officials believed it would be better saved for later in the year. Health Secretary Steve Barclay confirmed the move would remain under review. He said: “Thanks to the success of our world-leading vaccination rollout, we are able to continue living with Covid and, from 31 August, we will stop routine asymptomatic testing in most high-risk settings. “This reflects the fact that case rates have decreased and the risk of transmission has decreased, although we will continue to monitor the situation closely and work with industry to continue testing if necessary. Those admitted to nursing homes will continue to be screened.” Dr Susan Hopkins, UKHSA’s chief medical adviser, said it was safe to limit testing. He said: “Covid case rates and hospitalizations are falling, demonstrating the positive impact of vaccines, which remain our best form of defence. Data from our surveillance shows that prevalence is low and declining, and we will continue to monitor this data closely.” Free tests for the public ended on April 1 as part of the government’s coexistence plan with Covid. Archie Bland and Nimo Omer take you to the top stories and what they mean, free every weekday morning Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Covid cases in the last seven days stand at 40,027, when there have been 744 deaths and 6,005 hospitalizations. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it expected the prevalence of Covid to remain low after the latest wave, but that it would keep the situation under control. Last week, a vaccine designed to target two different forms of Covid was approved by the UK regulator. The UK was the first country to approve the bivalent vaccine, known as Spikevax bivalent Original/Omicron, giving the go-ahead for use as a booster for people aged over 18. The DHSC stressed that all available boosters provided good protection against serious illness from Covid and urged people to get a booster in time before the winter season.
