COVID community update on Lateral Flow Tests – 7 January 2022

As you will be aware, the Omicron variant of COVID-19 has meant there has been a huge surge in demand for Lateral Flow Tests (LFT) and demand is currently outstripping supply at times. Although this is expected to be a temporary problem, obtaining test kits is currently not as straight-forward as it has previously been, especially since the most convenient source – local pharmacies – have not had a regular supply of test kits since the rise in demand.

For most people this will simply mean some extra patience when ordering tests online. The national system refreshes the delivery slots available every 30 minutes, so if you visit the website and no tests are available, try again in 30 minutes.
For those who urgently need tests and are able to travel, an alternative is to visit one of the rapid testing centres from where kits can be collected. In South Cambridgeshire there is a regular pop-up session in Cambourne, but all the details about the locations of these sites can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website.

Perhaps the biggest concern is for those people who rely on LFTs so they can attend regular medical appointments but find it difficult or impossible to do so online. In such circumstances, people can still ring 119 to place an order. We would suggest that during this time it would be wise to place the order in plenty of time before it is needed – especially if a medical appointment is coming up.