London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 07, 2025

UK To Expand COVID-19 Tests To School Students As Cases Rise In London

UK To Expand COVID-19 Tests To School Students As Cases Rise In London

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that more details of the so-called "surge testing" programme will be set out on Friday after the fastest rise in infections was noted among secondary school age children.
The UK government is expanding its COVID-19 Test and Trace plan to cover all secondary school students aged between 11 and 18 in and around London, as the city registered a spike in coronavirus infections in recent days.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said that more details of the so-called "surge testing" programme will be set out on Friday after the fastest rise in infections was noted among secondary school age children.

This group will now be prioritised for testing by the National Health Service (NHS) in the seven worst affected boroughs of London, in parts of Essex that border London, and parts of Kent.

"Looking into the detail, the testing results and surveys show us that by far the fastest rise is among secondary school age children, 11 to 18 year olds, while the rate among adults in London is broadly flat," he said, during a 10 Downing Street briefing in London on Thursday evening.

"But we know from experience that a sharp rise in cases in younger people can lead to a rise amongst more vulnerable age groups later. We've seen that happen before. So we need to do everything we can to stop the spread among school-age children in London right now," he said.

The UK government is scheduled to review the current tiered system of coronavirus lockdown restrictions next Wednesday, when it will decide whether London and its suburbs need to be moved from the current high alert level of Tier 2 to the very high alert level of Tier 3.

The latter would mean hospitality venues only serving takeaway meals and almost any mixing between households being banned.

"We must not wait until the review which will take place on the 16 December. We need to take targeted action immediately," said Mr Hancock.

"Having spoken to the leaders of London's councils, and to the mayor [Sadiq Khan], we have decided to put in place an immediate plan for testing all secondary school aged children in the seven worst affected boroughs of London, in parts of Essex that border London, and parts of Kent," he said.

The minister said that schools will be kept open to not disrupt classes too much but officials will be working with schools and local authorities to encourage secondary school children and their families to get tested over the coming days through mobile testing units.

"I want to urge all those involved to step forward for testing. It is important that 11 to 18 year-olds get tested in these boroughs irrespective of whether they have symptoms – this is a really important point, because we know that you can have COVID – and you can still pass it on – even without symptoms," added Mr Hancock.

The NHS Test and Trace programme has been conducting lateral flow rapid result tests in targeted regions and sectors, such as universities. The move to expand the programme comes at the end of a week which marked the first rollout of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine against COVID-19.

Hancock welcomed the "help on the horizon" offered by the vaccine but urged people to continue to follow lockdown rules and not "blow it now" because the fall in the number of cases has "flattened off", even as numbers begin to rise in and around London.

The warning comes as the UK recorded another 516 deaths from the deadly virus, taking the country's number of deaths past 63,000.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
U.S. Enacts Sweeping Tax and Spending Legislation Amid Trade Policy Shifts
Football Mourns as Diogo Jota and Brother André Silva Laid to Rest in Portugal
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
London Stock Exchange Faces Historic Low in Initial Public Offerings
A new online platform has emerged in the United Kingdom, specifically targeting Muslim men seeking virgin brides
Trump Celebrates Independence Day with B-2 Flyover and Signs Controversial Legislation
Boris Johnson Urges Conservatives to Ignore Farage
SNP Ordered to Update Single-Sex Space Guidance Within Days
Starmer Set to Reject Calls for Wealth Taxes
Stolen Century-Old Rolls-Royce Recovered After Hotel Theft
Macron Presses Starmer to Recognise Palestinian State
Labour Delayed Palestine Action Ban Over Riot Concerns
Swinney’s Tax Comments ‘Offensive to Scots’, Say Tories
High Street Retailers to Enforce Bans on Serial Shoplifters
Music Banned by Henry VIII to Be Performed After 500 Years
Steve Coogan Says Working Class Is Being ‘Ethnically Cleansed’
Home Office Admits Uncertainty Over Visa Overstayer Numbers
JD Vance Questions Mandelson Over Reform Party’s Rising Popularity
Macron to Receive Windsor Carriage Ride in Royal Gesture
Labour Accused of ‘Hammering’ Scots During First Year in Power
BBC Head of Music Stood Down Amid Bob Vylan Controversy
Corbyn Eyes Hard-Left Challenge to Starmer’s Leadership
London Tube Trains Suspended After Major Fire Erupts Nearby
Richard Kemp: I Felt Safer in Israel Under Attack Than in the UK
Cyclist Says Police Cited Human Rights Act for Riding No-Handed
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Musk Battles to Protect Tesla Amid Trump Policy Threats
Air France-KLM Acquires Majority Stake in Scandinavian Airlines
UK Educators Sound Alarm on Declining Child Literacy
Shein Fined €40 Million in France Over Misleading Discounts
Brazil’s Lula Visits Kirchner During Argentina House Arrest
Trump Scores Legislative Win as House Passes Tax Reform Bill
Keir Starmer Faces Criticism After Rocky First Year in Power
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
×