Confirmatory PCR tests to be temporarily suspended for positive LFT results
From 11 January in England, people who test positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) on a lateral flow test (LFT) will be required to self-isolate immediately and won’t have to book a PCR test to confirm the result.
This is a temporary measure while COVID-19 rates remain high across the UK.
If you test positive on an LFT strip, you can be confident that you have COVID-19. Once you have reported your positive LFT result you will be contacted by Test and Trace, and will have to self-isolate for 10 days (unless your LFT result is negative on days 6 and 7 after the date of your first test, or the day when your symptoms started - see grey box below).
To find out more about this (including where there are exceptions to the new approach), click on the pink button.
Reduced self-isolation
A reduced self-isolation approach was announced on 22 December 2021. Anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 will now be able to leave self-isolation 7 days after the date of their initial positive test if they receive 2 negative LFT results, 24 hours apart, on days 6 and 7.
