This morning it emerged that the testing kits were not available on the NHS England website:
Myself and three colleagues have just tried to order lateral flow tests.
We’ve all received the same answer
Big problem from Wednesday if Covid passports come into force and those who haven’t been vaccinated can’t get a negative test as an alternative.@mrjamesob covering it. pic.twitter.com/ufQPWRoMMK
— Theo Usherwood (@theousherwood) December 13, 2021
New rules introduced by the UK Government mean that as of tomorrow, anyone identified as a contact of someone with Covid-19 in England must take a lateral test every day for a week. That has seemingly sparked demand for the kits, which can be ordered via the NHS or bought in pharmacies.
There are also fears the shortage could be exacerbated by new rules on covid passports that are due to be voted on this Wednesday. If the rules were to be voted through, unvaccinated persons would need to test negative to get access to concerts and major football matches among other events.
Moreover, if people cannot get hold of the testing kits and are ordered to self-isolate, there will inevitably be fears of another wave of the so-called ‘pingdemic’, which has seen workers all over the country having to stay at home. This, in turn, has caused disruption across many industries, including the logistics and supply chain sectors.
Photo: Fæ, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
