So happy tests are to be axed

[Wizzbangfizz]

So according to reports they are going to stop handing out LFT and will be stopping mass testing - this is excellent news for both the tax payer and the environment and surely marks a clear path this whole thing becoming endemic

If the idea is that people still test if they have symptoms, perhaps the government could update the official symptoms list so that it bears some resemblance to reality, rather than pretending there are only three main symptoms.

Great I will have to self isolate rather than lateral flow test before seeing my friend undergoing cancer treatment. She will have less visitors as well as many wont be prepared to do this.

Free lateral flow tests 'to be axed in weeks'
mol.im/a/10382481

Daily mail on it now

Okay I am ordering and stockpiling

Not sure why everyone is so delighted at the abandonment of free testing. Even with testing we currently have a situation where hospitals are so short staffed that the government has had to call in the army to help, and people are being told to take heart attack and stroke patients to hospital in their own cars because there aren't ambulances available. If there hadn't been tests available, the Omicron variant would have spread even more rapidly through the population.

@WeatherwaxOn

Stupid. How many more have to die needlessly? Why can't we have a government that actually give a shit about people? If we didn't waste so much money on pointless posturing stuff then there'd be plenty to keep people safe.

Seems to me that unless something is likely to make a millionaire richer then the rest of us are expendable.

That's about the size of it sadly yes.

And if they're planning to continue with testing for secondary school children, how are they going to make sure families don't simply stockpile tests for occasions when they think it would be useful?

SO hope this is true. I had a feeling this would happen soon - I had to visit 3 different chemists yesterday to get my prescription and people were running in and out like headless chickens asking for LFT's to be told nowhere had any.

I just thought "this isn't an accident". Isolations are causing all the disruption in the nhs and other sectors now. It needs to stop.

I test before visiting my vulnerable, elderly DM. It’s no effort and I’m happy to do it, and my way of living with the virus. If there was an easy test for norovirus I would be happy to test for that too before visiting her, if that was doing the rounds in my circle of contacts

@Infracat

Yeah thats really great for the vulnerable. Since when did the world become so selfish. Its depressing and very sad.

Haven't most done everything they've asked us to protect the vulnerable? There has to be a point were we start getting back to normal and ending things in stages.

My work was informed on Thursday we have to lft daily as we are critical workers so that contradicts your thoughts.

I'm sure they will stop that as soon as isolations aren't required any longer and tests nigh on impossible to get hold of though.

@bridegroomxs this is about giving people the option to test. It does not affect your life one jot.

I don't know if I'm being thick or not. But why are people going on about the environment? Yes I agree the tests probably are not great for the environment. But I bet half the people saying this drive cars. And the lateral flow tests are needed so we know if we have it or not and don't put others at risk.

Anyway I thought it way the PCR test they were stopping ? They are keeping the lateral flow tests. If that's positive then you don't need to confirm with the PCR . That was my understanding anyway

Wow...just when you think this bloody government can't get any worse!! Today we reached 150k deaths..

In Johnson's own words this week 'we aren't out of the woods yet.' I wonder what the medics think🤔

So the poor and vulnerable will have to fork out more...and if people don't want to test that's OK the virus knows not to pass it on.

I suppose the only light at the end of the tunnel is some Tory backbencher has got the gig to make them...

@LilyPond2

Not sure why everyone is so delighted at the abandonment of free testing. Even with testing we currently have a situation where hospitals are so short staffed that the government has had to call in the army to help, and people are being told to take heart attack and stroke patients to hospital in their own cars because there aren't ambulances available. If there hadn't been tests available, the Omicron variant would have spread even more rapidly through the population.

I guess the argument is that without testing so much people without symptoms would just carry on working in the NHS.

Of course they can still pass it on and kill their patients but the government just wants to get the economy going again and have better NHS PR. It's all about balancing priorities. Right from early on it was clear the government's priority was keeping the economy going rather than saving lives. Free testing is too expensive so it'll be only the rich vulnerable people who can afford them and get to live. Vulnerable poor people will die.

And that's a government with f**ked priorities.

@RoyalFamilyFan

Great I will have to self isolate rather than lateral flow test before seeing my friend undergoing cancer treatment. She will have less visitors as well as many wont be prepared to do this.

Just order some and have them in 🤷‍♀️

@bridegroomxs there are none available for delivery. I am going to have to travel to a pharmacy tomorrow to get some.

6 more years!

The only reason the government are doing this is to stop the negative headlines now theres 200k new cases a day.

[quote RoyalFamilyFan]@bridegroomxs there are none available for delivery. I am going to have to travel to a pharmacy tomorrow to get some.[/quote]
My managers have to go on at 7 every morning to order some. This is a nhs setting as well.

Great news, this needs to happen. Of course testing wasn’t going to continue forever.

@MaryAndHerNet

The only reason the government are doing this is to stop the negative headlines now theres 200k new cases a day.

This! Keep cases artificially low.

@bridegroomxs that is crazy.

I think that will be combined within a few weeks, they will cut isolation to 7 days per se, rather than dependent on 2 negative lateral flows. (If lfts aren't widely available)

Good, about time too.