Regular asymptomatic testing for COVID-19 in hospitals, prisons and in care homes across the Isle of Wight will be halted at the end of the month due to the improving picture nationwide, with COVID cases continuing to fall.
Free testing ended on 1st April as part of the Government’s ‘Living with COVID’ plan, but asymptomatic testing continued to be used in some settings during periods of high case rates.
Officials say that the risk of transmission has reduced and the number of cases has fallen to just 40,000, meaning that a ‘pause’ on asymptomatic testing can take place. Prevalence is said to be ‘low and decreasing’.
However, symptomatic testing in high-risk settings will continue and those being admitted to a hospital or care home will still be tested as standard practice.
Settings where asymptomatic testing of staff,patients and residents will be halted include:
- the NHS (including independent healthcare providers treating NHS patients)
- adult social care and hospice services (apart from new admissions)
- parts of the prison estate and some places of detention
- certain domestic abuse refuges and homelessness settings
Health and Social Care Secretary Steve Barclay has said:
“Thanks to the success of our world-leading vaccination roll-out, we are able to continue living with COVID and, from 31 August, we will pause routine asymptomatic testing in most high-risk settings.
“This reflects the fact case rates have fallen and the risk of transmission has reduced, though we will continue to closely monitor the situation and work with sectors to resume testing should it be needed. Those being admitted into care homes will continue to be tested.
Article continues below this advertisement “Our upcoming autumn booster programme will offer jabs to protect those at greatest risk from severe COVID-19, and I urge everyone who is eligible to take up the offer”.
Thanks to the success of our world-leading vaccination roll-out, we are able to continue living with COVID.
those of us that didn’t bother with jibby jabs are also still here and fine – goes without saying that barclay cannot claim that the jabs, which are not vaccines, as they do not prevent you getting covid, do not prevent transmission or prevent symptoms allow us to live with covid, as it is entirely possible that those that did get jabbed would have been fine without it.
Those who did not bother with the ” jibby jabs are also still here and fine “, so you claim to know that as fact, as you know all those people, don’t speak for those who you know nothing about.
kev some of us are not sheeple that blindly do as they are told by someone else.
100%agree wighter.its the sheep that ate all feeling stupid now for being scared intoo it with the medias help and it not bekng that great a vaccine tbh and just a huge moneymaker.but the brainwashed just wont admit
And the people who follow those of your opinion, are simply ” sheeple ” who blindly follow in your beliefs, but of course you are convinced you are right, that is your choice.
Basically i do agree with you in principal.
I’ve had my two jabs, only to try to help the vulnerable.
If everyone had your own SELFISH attitude, i would presume that this covid s*** would be a lot worse.
Far to much me,me,me,me. on this little Island of ours.
Sadly many of the jabbed are catching C O V I D and many are experiencing issues from V A C C I N E Spikes
Well said
Quite agree
When the jab was first announced, I refused to have it and thought I’d be fine. That was until December 2020 when I contracted COVID and was on a ventilator in hospital. I nearly lost my life because I thought I knew better than hundreds, if not thousands of medical professionals and I will forever be grateful to the NHS for giving me a second chance at life. Most people don’t seem to understand that you only get one shot at life and it can be very easily taken from you without any warning.
Thankfully, I have had no long-term effects, but there are so many people that have to live with long-term issues.
Well said, shows great character to admit you were wrong.
Your opinion is your opinion. But, many people who did not have the vaccine, sadly died.
No it does not stop you catching COVID but it does lessen the severity of the symptoms, fact.
There will always be controversial conversation re COVID vaccine, it is a personal choice and both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals should respect their choice.
I suggest you watch the excellent documentary “Unvaccinated” by Hannah Fry.
The most shocking statistic is revealed when she takes the group of vaccine sceptics to meet an intensive care consultant at a big London hospital. He told them that, since the boosters rolled out, 95% of those that end up in ICU with Covid were unvaccinated. When asked how many who died were unvaccinated he replied “all of them”.
I also know an A&E charge nurse who works in Southampton. He also tells me the same sort of thing. The vast majority of people brought into A&E withe severe Covid were unvaccinated.
Excellent documentary. Curious how the biggest conspiracy nut of the group (the one who believed that there were Bill Gates’ microchips in the vaccine) had a change of heart while the shouty “Karen”, who refused to let anyone else speak, stuck to her guns. She was the one who asked the ICU guy how many were unvaccinated.
Yawn! Are will still talking about this bore fest!? Like many of my friends, I haven’t had the experimental medicine, & we’re all still standing.