Who gets lateral flow tests for free under new Covid rules from Friday?

The government announced that from tomorrow, free testing for the general public will end as part of the Government’s Living with Covid plan. 

All remaining restrictions will also be lifted tomorrow, although Oxfordshire public health director says ill people should stay home. 

New advice has been laid out for who will still get a free Covid test on the government website. 

People with Covid symptoms in the following groups will still get free tests: 

• NHS patients in hospital
• Those eligible for COVID-19 antiviral and other treatments
• NHS staff and staff working in NHS-funded independent healthcare provision 
• Adult social care staff and residents in care homes, extra care and supported living settings
• Adult social care social workers, personal assistants, Shared Lives carers and CQC inspectors
• Staff and patients in hospices
• Staff and detainees in prisons and other places of detention
• Staff and detainees in immigration removal centres 
• Staff and users of high-risk domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings

READ MORE: Oxford pub managers on loss of free lateral flow tests

People who are asymptomatic, without symptoms, in these categories will still get free tests:

When there are high covid rates, asymptomatic testing will continue to 'mitigate risk'. Testing will continue to be provided for:

• Adult social care staff and a small number of visitors providing personal care
• Hospice staff
• Patient-facing staff in the NHS and NHS-funded independent healthcare provision
• Some staff in prisons and other places of detention, and some refuges and shelters

Care home outbreak testing for all staff and residents will also continue all year according to government advice.

READ MORE: 99p Covid-19 test available as Government set to scrap free testing

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