Government widens workplace coronavirus testing programme

The UK Government has expanded its offer of rapid, regular workplace testing for businesses that remain open during the current coronavirus lockdown.

The government has widened eligibility criteria for joining the workplace rapid testing programme from businesses with more than 250 employees, to businesses with more than 50 employees. Employers in vital sectors which remain open, including transport and food manufacturing, where staff are unable to work from home, can access support around workplace testing via an online portal.

Many employers have already taken up the offer of rapid, regular workforce testing, with 112 UK organisations across almost 500 sites joining government backed rapid testing.

Around one in three people who have coronavirus have no symptoms and may be unknowingly spreading the virus. This expansion of testing will find more positive cases, keeping workers who cannot work from home from unknowingly passing on the virus.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

Employers should regularly test their staff, and this drive across government to raise awareness and encourage more businesses to introduce rapid testing for employees is incredibly important. When you consider that around one in three people have the virus without symptoms and could potentially infect people without even knowing it, it becomes clear why focusing testing on those without symptoms is so essential.

“We are already working with many employers to scale up workforce testing, spanning the food industry, retail sector, transport network, and across the public sector too. I strongly urge businesses and employees across the country to take up this offer of rapid testing to help stop this virus spreading further.”

Transport for London (TfL) is one of the larger organisations to have taken part in a pilot for the workplace testing scheme. Dr Samantha Phillips, Head of Health and Wellbeing at TfL, said:

We have been part of a Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC) pilot whereby employees can volunteer to do twice weekly rapid antigen testing.

“We have had an enthusiastic response to the pilot and employees are finding it reassuring, particularly if they have vulnerable relatives at home or family members who are also key workers. Identifying asymptomatic employees has also helped us in our efforts to protect the welfare and safety of all our team members working on the frontline.”

Stockport Council has also begun workplace testing for its frontline staff, particularly those working with communities most at risk from the coronavirus.