Johnson pushes twice-weekly Covid tests to help reopen UK

Bloomberg

Everyone in England will be urged to take a coronavirus test twice a week as a new system of Covid passports is assessed for wide-scale use, under Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s plan
to reopen the economy after lockdown. Free test kits will be made available through local pharmacies, community centers and home delivery services, when the new regime goes live on April 9.
With most of the adult population now having received a vaccine, the government believes rapid testing of the whole population and a system of Covid status certification will help keep control over the pandemic as restrictions are eased.
“Massive efforts have been made by the British public to stop the spread of the virus,” Johnson said in a statement released by his office. “As we continue to make good progress on our vaccine program and with our road-map to cautiously easing restrictions underway, regular rapid testing is even more important to make sure those efforts are not wasted.”
The UK has suffered the highest death toll in Europe from the pandemic and is still reeling from the country’s deepest recession in 300 years.
A vaccination program that has rapidly outpaced the rest of Europe has seen 31.5 million people given at least one shot so far, and puts the UK in a good position to reopen even as nearby countries such as France are locking down again.
From April 12, non-essential stores, outdoor attractions, gyms will reopen; and restaurants can serve customers outside.
International travel may resume, potentially from as early as May 17, with a new “traffic light” system coding countries as red, amber or green, based on their pandemic risks.
Arrivals in the UK from green countries won’t need to isolate, but will have to take tests before departing and after arriving. Quarantine and isolation rules will apply to passengers entering the country from places on the red and amber lists.

A Covid-status certification system — often referred to as a Covid passport — will be developed over the coming months, which could allow riskier venues such as sports events and theaters to reopen.
Covid certificates, which could be paper-based or via a smart-phone app, will be tested at mass events including top soccer matches and other sporting occasions in the weeks ahead; shops and restaurants won’t need to use certification to reopen.