ONE of the biggest changes in Britain’s pandemic set to come in next week is the scrapping of free Covid tests.
From next Friday Brits in England will have to pay to check if they have the virus, unless they are in certain groups.
Testing in the UK is set for a major change from next week
The rest of the UK is set to follow at a later date, with Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland continuing with some free testing for longer.
People will no longer be able to get a free PCR test on the NHS, unless they are considered high risk.
And lateral flow tests, which have been the staple of home testing, will no longer be free unless you are in a certain risk group.
Instead Brits will have to go to high street stores selling one swab for around £1.99.
This is part of Boris Johnson’s plan to “live with Covid” and move the nation forward without self isolation and restrictions.
The Government website said: “The Test & Trace programme cost £15.7 billion in 2021/22.
“With Omicron now the dominant variant and less severe, levels of high immunity across the country and a range of strategies in place including vaccines… the value for taxpayers’ money is now less clear.
“Free testing should rightly be focused on at-risk groups.”
It comes after the Health Secretary urged Brits who catch the virus to act like they have flu.
And he said that people who test positive should still self-isolate for at least four or five days before returning to work.
He said ministers are not worried about rising cases, which was “always going to be the case” as the country ended all restrictions.
But he said anyone with Covid symptoms should try to avoid others until they feel better, and test if they can.
Mr Javid defended the Government’s decision to phase out free lateral flow tests from the end of this month.
He said the move was part of plans to start living with the virus and Brits could be trusted to show “common sense” if they feel ill.
The health sec said: “We will focus our tests on of those that are most vulnerable or in vulnerable settings and that’s the right way forward.
“Post April 1 if people have Covid symptoms then they should just behave sensibly like you would expect someone to behave if they had flu symptoms.
He added: “If I tested positive I wouldn’t go into work. We’re relying much more on people’s personal responsibility, their own common sense.
“If you’re not feeling well, if you’ve got the symptoms of Covid, then it’s not a good idea to mix with other people.
