Firms will be able to offer their employees free Covid home testing kits from next week as ministers ramp up efforts to make offices safe
- Companies will be able to supply employees with Covid-19 tests under new rules
- Matt Hancock believes rapid testing will help with the country with the road map
- The new system will include providing employees with lateral flow tests
Firms will be able to offer their employees free rapid Covid tests to perform in their own homes from next week, as Ministers ramp up efforts to make workplaces safe from coronavirus.
In an acceleration of a programme championed by The Mail on Sunday, all but the very smallest companies will be allowed to apply to order the home test kits online, Results are provided within 30 minutes.
The move will widen access to firms where testing workers on-site is difficult, either because of a shortage of space or employees work in a number of locations.
Firms will be able to offer their employees free rapid Covid tests to perform in their own homes from next week, as Ministers ramp up efforts to make workplaces safe from coronavirus
Last night, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘Rapid testing is a vital part of our roadmap, helping us to cautiously lift restrictions on our economy and society’
Last night, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘Rapid testing is a vital part of our roadmap, helping us to cautiously lift restrictions on our economy and society.
‘Around one in three 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.
‘Sixty thousand businesses have already registered for free, regular and rapid tests and I encourage many more to take up the offer, helping to keep their employees and their families safe.’
The lateral flow tests, which are also being used in schools, work by identifying those with levels of the virus that mean they are likely to pose an infection risk to others.
The MoS has been campaigning to roll out workplace testing to get people back to their jobs and the economy moving again.
The supply of home test kits for employees will begin on Tuesday 6 April. Businesses are being asked to register before Monday 12 April but can do so now. The tests will be available until the end of June under current plans.
Matthew Fell, chief UK policy director at the Confederation of British Industry, said: ‘Mass, rapid workplace testing is an essential pillar of the roadmap for reopening, alongside the vaccine rollout.
‘Having the option for staff to test at home will enable more firms to embrace workplace testing, as not all employers will have the space or facilities to run testing programmes on their premises.
‘We’d encourage as many firms as possible to register.’