BOSSES will be able to offer free rapid Covid tests to staff to take at home as the government extends its workplace testing programme.
Home test kits will be provided to firms with more than 10 employees where it is not possible to set up on-site testing, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said today.
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Some 60,000 businesses were said to have already registered for regular tests for key workers, but the scheme will be extended to home testing from April 6.
Widespread testing is seen as a key measure to keep Covid-19 under control as the lockdown is eased in England, with the “stay home” order ending on Monday.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “Rapid testing is a vital part of our road map, helping us to cautiously lift restrictions on our economy and society.
“Around one in three people with coronavirus do not have any symptoms, so extending employee testing from the workplace to the home will help us identify more cases we otherwise wouldn’t find, prevent further transmission and save lives.”
The DHSC urged firms to register by April 12 to access free lateral flow tests until the end of June. It was not clear whether the tests will be paid for after that point.
The home tests are being targeted at companies unable to set up testing in the workplace, either because there is insufficient space or because they operate over multiple sites.
Employees will be told to inform their bosses of a positive test result, as well as the NHS, which will offer them a confirmatory PCR test.
British Retail Consortium chief executive Helen Dickinson welcomed the move.
“This is something we have called for as the next step for smaller businesses and stores where the space for testing at work is limited. It is also supported by employees as a practical approach,” she said.
Meanwhile, the stay at home message will be ditched in England from Monday – but you still face a fine if you try to leave the country.
Millions of Brits were ordered to stay at home under the third national lockdown, working from house and unable to meet up with friends in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
But Boris Johnson’s roadmap out of lockdown has now started to unfold, with the next phase to take place from March 29.
The Rule of Six will return to let Brits meet up with six mates outside while outdoor sports will be back on.
And the next phase also means the “Stay Home” slogan will be axed in England.
Under the current rules, many Brits had been fined for not having a reasonable excuse for heading outside.
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland’s lockdown rules differ due to their devolved governments, but they are also lifting lockdown restrictions.
Nicola Sturgeon already allowed groups of four from two households to meet outdoors earlier this month, and will ditch the “Stay Home” message for Scots from April 2.
Meanwhile Wales lifted the “Stay Home” order on March 13, but told people to stay local. Four people from two households can also meet outside.
Northern Ireland is set to reintroduce the Rule of Six outdoors from April 1, with the “Stay Home” order lifted on April 12.
