Two friends sit on the seawall on a sunny Easter Sunday at Chalkwell Beach on April 4, 2021 in Southend-on-Sea, England.
John Keeble | Getty Images News | Getty Images
LONDON – Everyone in England will be able to receive two Covid tests for free every week, while the UK government is slowing its efforts to reopen the economy.
The test results are provided in about 30 minutes. People living in England will be able to order tests online or collect them locally, the government announced on Monday. The scheme, which starts Friday, arrives as the country prepares to reopen shops and bars in less than 10 days. Most have been closed since the end of 2020.
“This is a very important step, one more step that will help us, by easing these restrictions, to get life back to normal in this country,” British Health Secretary Edward Argar told Sky News on Monday.
England has been in blockade mode since the end of December, but for a week, people were allowed to meet outside in groups of up to six. At least three more reference dates are coming before all legal limits on social contact are removed, hopefully by the end of June.
However, the plan for a complete reopening of the economy will depend on the evolution of the pandemic, as well as on the country’s vaccination program.
So far, more than 31 million people in the UK have received their first dose. More than 5 million people have already received their second vaccine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to speak at 5 pm UK time on Monday and outline plans for international travel rules.
International travel is currently restricted until May 17. Reports suggest that, once travel abroad is allowed, quarantine rules will depend on a “traffic light system” – meaning that those traveling to countries on the “green” list will not be required to isolate after their return to the country. UK
However, pre- and post-arrival tests are likely to remain, even when coming from a destination considered to be of low risk.
The prime minister must also mention passports for the coronavirus – documents that indicate whether a person has been vaccinated, whether the test result was negative for the coronavirus recently or if he has natural immunity.