How to stay safe as free Covid-19 testing finishes

‘LIVING WITH Covid doesn’t mean ignoring it’ - that’s the warning from Calderdale’s director of public health ahead of free Covid testing ending for most.

From tomorrow, only people deemed vulnerable to Covid, those working and living in “high risk settings” such as care homes and the NHS, and some hospital pateints will get tested for free. Everyone else will have to pay.

Updated guidance advises people with symptoms of any respiratory infection, including Covid-19, and a high temperature or who feel unwell, to “try stay at home and avoid contact with other people until they feel well enough to resume normal activities and they no longer have a high temperature”.

Anyone with a positive test result will be advised to stay at home for five days, when they are most infectious.

The move comes despite rising cases of Covid-19 and a plea for support from Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, who say the number of patients in its hospitals testing positive more than doubled over a fortnight - from 46 to 105 - and the number of patients being treated for Covid-19 increased from just 5 to 79.

Calderdale Council’s Director of Public Health, Deborah

Harkins, said: “As much of the national and local Covid-19 response system is stepped down, we’ve been working with local partners to establish what living with Covid means for Calderdale. In doing this work, we are all clear that living with Covid doesn’t mean ignoring it.

“Even though it’s no longer a legal requirement, we should all stay at home if we have Covid or are unwell with symptoms that might be Covid.

“The best way to prevent yourself from getting Covid-19, getting seriously ill and spreading it to others is to get fully vaccinated.

“It’s also important to remember that not everyone feels the same about living with the virus and we should all continue to show kindness and consideration for others.”

“We are all clear that living with Covid does not mean ignoring it.”