Businesses in England are set to be offered workplace testing to provide safer workplaces for staff that are unable to work from home. <\/p>\n
Organisations that employ over 50 people will have access to rapid lateral flow testing under new guidelines, which aim to reduce the risk of outbreaks. Previously, this form of testing, which produces results in 30 minutes, was only available for businesses with a workforce of over 250 employees. <\/p>\n
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, encouraged businesses that have workforces currently working in offices, call centres and other settings to take up the offer of rapid testing. Studies suggest that around a third of people who have the virus do not have symptoms, so testing has become increasingly important, particularly in environments where the infection could spread quickly. <\/p>\n
Asymptomatic office workers, for example, could spread the virus to many others without realising. During an average day, they could commute via public transport, engage in meetings with colleagues or customers and travel home, all the while being unaware that they are at risk of spreading the virus. Frequent testing would enable employers to detect cases and ensure that affected staff members isolate according to the public health guidelines. <\/p>\n