Covid home testing kits remain free on Isle of Man after cases surge

Lateral flow testing kits are free to collect from pharmacies or order online

Home testing kits for Covid will remain free on the Isle of Man until further notice, the government has confirmed.

The announcement follows a spike in cases, which are believed to be linked to the influx of TT festival visitors.

The island adopted a self-testing strategy in December in response to the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus.

Health Minister Lawrie Hooper previously said the lateral flow device kits would remain free until June.

A government spokesman said the Council of Ministers had agreed to extend the availability of the testing kits "while the impact of the current Covid-19 spike is monitored".

The latest data, released on Thursday, showed that the number of cases had more than doubled in a week.

While all legal rules regarding testing and isolation were lifted in April, people are still encouraged to test themselves if they become unwell or before attending large events or medical appointments.

The kits are available from most pharmacies island-wide and can be ordered online via the government website.

In January, it was revealed that the government had spent £5.8m on lateral flow tests.