Britain eyes twice-weekly coronavirus tests for adults and children as economy reopens

The British government says all adults and children will be able to have routine coronavirus tests twice a week as a way to stamp out new outbreaks as the UK emerges from lockdown.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday everyone in England will be able to take a COVID-19 test twice a week in a new drive to track the pandemic as society reopens and the vaccine rollout continues at its rapid rate.

Johnson said regularly testing people who don’t have symptoms would help "stop outbreaks in their tracks, so we can get back to seeing the people we love and doing the things we enjoy.”

A pedestrian walks with a dog past a sign directing people to a rapid lateral flow COVID-19 testing centre in London. AFP

The lateral flow tests, which will be available by mail or from pharmacies, give results in minutes but are less accurate than the PCR swab tests used to officially confirm cases of COVID-19. The government insists they are reliable and will play an important role in opening up society.

The tests are being introduced as Johnson announces the next steps in the country’s road map out of its three-month lockdown. Johnson is expected to confirm later on Monday that hairdressers, shops and pub and restaurant patios will reopen in England on April 12.

Johnson is unlikely to tell Britons when they will be able to go abroad on vacation — currently banned by law - though the government has said it will not be before May 17.

A pedestrian walks past a sign directing people to a rapid lateral flow COVID-19 testing centre in central London. AFP

As much of Europe enters new lockdowns to tackle surging cases, Johnson has set out a staggered plan to ease restrictions in the coming months, a huge boost for one of the worst-hit countries during the pandemic.

"As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine programme and with our roadmap to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted," Johnson said in a statement.

Junior health minister Edward Argar said the tests would be sent to homes or businesses, or picked up from pharmacies or test centres. He said he was confident people would isolate.

"People are doing the right thing," he told Sky News.

The increased testing will help health officials to track the pandemic as the country slowly reopens from a strict four-month lockdown.

Agencies