Skip to content Skip to navigation
Don't be the link. Stop the spread. Save lives.
Prevent Notice Act

COVID-19 Testing programmes

What's on this page:

    Get tested for COVID-19

    Find out about the different types of COVID-19 tests and how to get tested.

    Find out more about testing for COVID-19 on the NHS website.

    Rapid Lateral Flow Tests (LFTs)

    Find out how to get rapid lateral flow tests for COVID-19 if you do not have symptoms.

    Find out more about Lateral Flow Testing on the NHS website.

    Testing at home or at a test site

    Find out how to do rapid lateral flow tests (tests that give a quick result using a device similar to a pregnancy test) and PCR tests (tests that are sent to a lab).

    Find out more about doing tests at home or at a test site on the NHS website.

    Register a test kit

    Find out how to register a COVID-19 test kit you used at home or at a test site, so you can get your test result.

    Find out how to register a test kit on the NHS website.

    Register your test result

    Find out how you get your COVID-19 test result, what you need to do, and how to report your result.

    Find out more about reporting your test result on the NHS website.

    Antibody testing to check if you've had COVID-19

    Find out what a COVID-19 antibody test can tell you and who can get a test.

    Find out more about antibody testing on the NHS website.

    Daily testing for contacts of positive COVID-19 cases

    Following an update to the government guidance announced on Sunday, 12 December 2021, anyone who has been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19 will need to take daily tests for seven days.

    New daily testing rules and who they apply to

    If you have been in contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19, you will need to take daily Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) for seven days following contact.

    Confirmed cases

    You will be contacted via the NHS COVID-19 app if you have been in contact with a confirmed case. Alternatively, you may find out from a friend or family member who has alerted you to their positive test result.

    Confirmed cases include all variants, such as Delta or Omicron, and even if the contact was asymptomatic (didn’t show any symptoms).

    Who needs to test following positive contact

    Following contact with a confirmed case, those who must take daily tests and do not need to self-isolate (unless a positive result or symptoms develop) are:

    • Adults who have received 2 vaccination doses (must be 14 days since second dose to ensure immunity to virus).
    • All children aged between 5 and 18 years and six months, regardless of their vaccination status.
    • People who can prove they are unable to get vaccinated for medical reasons.
    • People taking part, or have taken part, in an approved clinical trial for the COVID-19 vaccine.

    Please note: If you are taking daily tests you do not need to self-isolate, even if the confirmed case is within your household. However, you are still strongly advised to limit close contact with other people outside your household, especially in crowded or enclosed spaces and with anyone who is more vulnerable.

    Who does not need to test following positive contact

    Children aged 5 and under

    Children aged 5 and under do not have to take daily LFT tests. They also do not need to self-isolate.

    Unvaccinated individuals

    Unvaccinated individuals are not eligible to take daily tests. Instead, you must self-isolate for 10 days from the last known contact and book a PCR Test on the NHS website.

    Those who are unable to take LFT tests

    Anyone who refuses to take an LFT test or cannot tolerate LFT tests, must self-isolate for 10 days from the last known contact and book a PCR Test on the NHS website.

    What to do if your daily LFT is positive

    If your daily LFT is positive you must immediately:

    If you or a close contact shows symptoms of COVID-19

    If a close contact, such a family member or work colleague, begins to show symptoms during your 7-day testing programme, you must immediately:

    More information

    Find a rapid lateral flow test site in your area - GOV.UK

    Testing and Tracing for Coronavirus - NHS

    Report a Lateral Flow Test result - GOV.UK

    Getting tested for coronavirus - GOV.UK

    Daily testing for contacts of positive COVID-19 cases

    Got symptoms?
    Get tested.

    Register online for a COVID-19 test Call 119 to book a COVID-19 test