but ahead of that, she said that anyone who tests positive with covid should self isolate. she also disagrees with any sudden change to testing arrangements. she would prefer a slower move to a more targeted approach. here in scotland, you must wear a face covering in indoor public places and also vaccine passports are required in places like nightclubs and other large gatherings. in wales, the rules on self isolation remain. there is a review due next month, but for now, if you test positive, here, you have to self isolate for at least five days. that may now cause confusion for people who have to cross the border with england for work. masks remain mandatory in shops abd on public transport and in health care until the end of this month, but the welsh government s biggest concern is that change on testing.
clinically vulnerable. lateral flow tests will remain free of charge in the transition phase. indeed, we consider it important, in line with the principle of health care free at the principle of health care free at the point of use, that they should remain free of charge for any circumstance in which government recommends testing, and this is a principle we will seek to uphold in our longer term plan testing. i also want to emphasise that in scotland for now we will continue to ask those who test positive for covid to isolate for the recommended period, and we will continue to make a isolation support payments available to those who are eligible. we will of course keep the recommended period of isolation under review that i think it is worth stressing that i think it is worth stressing that isolating, staying at home when positive, with a highly infective virus, and the follow up casing that test and protect does, remains one of the most fundamental public health protections we have av
establish the biggest testing we should be proud that the uk establish the biggest testing programme per person of any large country in the world. but its budget in the last financial year was bigger than that of the home office. and it, the testing programme, cost £2 billion just last month alone. so, we must scale back and prioritise our resources for the most vulnerable. this is part of what so professor chris whitty said at that same press conference a short time ago. the omicron wave conference a short time ago. the omicron wave is conference a short time ago. the omicron wave is still high. and if you look omicron wave is still high. and if you look at omicron wave is still high. and if you look at the uk, we are still in places you look at the uk, we are still in places between one in 20 and one in 25 people places between one in 20 and one in 25 people have got omicron if they were tested according to ns data, which were tested according to ns data, which is were
so we must also remain vigilant and prepared. to that end i will also outline how we will categorise and respond to future risks including from new variants and i will explain why our decision must be based on a combination of data, evidence and judgment. and i will also give our assessment of the current situation in scotland in light of recent data and set out an indicative timescale for lifting or converting to guidance the small number of legally binding measures that still remain in place. finally i will set out our commitment to continued access to pcr and lateral flow testing free of charge while we transition to a system of testing that is more targeted but which retains adequate capacity to support surveillance, rapid response to the emergence of new variants and access to the best care and treatment for those who need it and i will also confirm our advice that those testing positive
we had no reference to young people and certainly no reference to be working in our schools and colleges. what kind of representation do unions like yours will make to the government? perhaps regarding carrying on with lateral flow testing, which we are told will not be free after the 1st of april for most people? be free after the 1st of april for most people? probably the most im ortant most people? probably the most important representation - most people? probably the most important representation we ve i most people? probably the most - important representation we ve been making so far is on behalf of those people who work in special schools, because if you are in a specialist school, you re working with young people who clinically have very different needs and i think that is one area we want to acknowledge the government is recognised, a lot of the kind of mitigations taking place previously we continue in those special schools. previously we continue in those specialschools. i