Parting of the waves

Gaps between confirmed cases and PCR-positive estimates grow.

On 1st April 2022, free Covid-19 testing for the general public in England ended. In Wales, some free testing capacity continues to the end of June. For people in Scotland, free rapid tests will not be available from 18th April.

Under a renewed definition, UK confirmed case figures are counts of infection episodes. For the United Kingdom except Wales, episodes are positive tests 90 days or more apart. In Wales, that gap in time is 42 days. There are differences…