Boots will begin selling single lateral flow tests to customers from £5.99 from February 23, after the government announced it was scrapping free testing.
The retailer said it would begin selling single tests or packs of four from £17 including delivery on its website. From early March, the retailer said it would begin selling lateral flow tests to customers at over 400 of its stores, priced at £2.50 for a single test or £12 for a pack of five.
These tests will also be available from then on Boots.com, alongside a bundle of two tests for £4.75 and four tests for £9.50.
Boots UK director of healthcare services Asif Aziz said: “We are pleased to be expanding our Covid-19 testing services even further, with affordable lateral flow testing options for those who still want peace of mind from asymptomatic testing after April 1.
“While it is great that we are returning to normal and finding a way to live with Covid-19, we encourage our customers and patients to stay safe and continue to take measures to limit the spread of the virus, especially to those in vulnerable groups.”
PM’s announcement ‘premature’, say unions
The announcement comes after Boris Johnson told the House of Commons the government would be scrapping free lateral flow tests from April 1.
In a raft of announcements, Johnson also lifted the legal requirements for people who test positive for Covid-19 to self-isolate from Thursday. The prime minister said it was time for the UK to “get our confidence back”.
His announcement was slammed by both GMB and the shopworkers’ union Usdaw.
GMB national health and safety director Dan Shears said: “The prime minister’s announcement is premature and nothing more than a desperate attempt to buy popularity with the public.
“Removing Covid restrictions doesn’t mean that the virus has gone away. Thousands of workers will continue to be infected each day and many have yet to be fully vaccinated.
“GMB will put pressure on bosses to provide protective measures until case numbers are much lower. Workers should not lose pay or be disciplined for falling ill through no fault of their own.”
Usdaw general secretary Paddy Lillis said: “Scrapping free tests is purely an economic decision by the government. However, charging for tests will price out low-paid workers who are already struggling to make ends meet with food and fuel prices rising, energy bills soaring and real wages falling. This will be an additional cost that many cannot afford.“
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