Hospitality urged to register for free workplace Covid testing

Trade associations are urging businesses in the hospitality industry to register for free workplace Covid-19 testing.

The deadline to register for free rapid lateral flow tests, which will allow businesses to test employees twice a week, is 31 March 2021.

With hospitality set to partially reopen in April, trade associations such as UKHospitality (UKH) are urging businesses to register as soon as possible.

Kate Nicholls, the trade body’s chief executive, said: “There are only eight days until the deadline, so businesses need to act quickly. If you want to offer workplace testing to employees, you must be registered before the end of this month.

“Even if you do not plan to open until May or later, you need to act now. Do not think that, because your reopening date is still weeks or months away, you can afford to delay.”

She added: “The scheme is open to businesses of all sizes, so we are urging the sector to embrace this opportunity. Rapid testing of staff in venues could be one of the keys to maintaining high levels of safety across the sector and could help us recover more quickly.

“It also shows a willingness on the part of hospitality businesses to aid the Government’s efforts to get the economy open again, so we encourage everyone to support this scheme and register today.”