The government will end routine COVID testing for hospital patients discharged into care homes from April 1. Health minister Maria Caulfield confirmed the decision in a written statement on Monday and said the move could be taken due to continued high levels of vaccination among at-risk groups, combined with wider access to treatments and the reduced impact of outbreaks. Ms Caulfield added the shift was 'to align with the approach for other respiratory illnesses'.
' Read more from Sky News:'Next pandemic is around the corner,' expert warnsJohnson like 'absent football manager' as pandemic hit, says Welsh leader'Groundbreaking' lung cancer vaccine being developed Dame Jenny Harries, Chief Executive of UK Health Security Agency said: 'Thanks to protection from the combination of vaccination, natural immunity and effective treatments, COVID is now a relatively mild disease for most people.