Most people who want to be tested for Covid-19 will have to pay for tests under new plans put forward by ministers.

The Government has announced who will be eligible for free tests when free universal testing in England ends on Friday.

People who are eligible for free tests in England include:

– Hospital patients who have symptoms of Covid. These patients will be given lab tests in hospital where it is required for their care or to support ongoing surveillance of the virus.

– People who are at risk of severe Covid-19 who have symptoms. These people might be eligible for Covid-19 treatments which help alleviate their symptoms. People in this group will be sent lateral flow tests to keep at home for use if they have symptoms.

– Some workers or residents of “high risk settings” who have symptoms. This includes some care home and hospice staff and residents, NHS workers and prison staff. People will also be tested before being discharged from hospital into care homes, hospices, homelessness settings and domestic abuse refuges.

– Some NHS and social care staff will continue to get free tests when they don’t have symptoms when there are high rates of infection in the community.

But the Department for Health and Social Care said that most visitors to adult social care settings, and visitors to the NHS, prisons or places of detention will no longer be required to take a test.

Health leaders welcomed the news that staff would not be required to pay for tests while there are high levels of the virus in the community.

Matthew Taylor, chief executive of the NHS Confederation, said: “Health leaders will be relieved that the Government has seen sense and confirmed at the 11th hour that NHS staff in patient-facing roles will continue to have access to free testing against Covid-19. This is a victory for common sense.

“As rates of coronavirus and hospital admissions continue to be high and with one in 16 people in England believed to have the virus currently, stripping this access from those who care for some of the most vulnerable in our society would have been a massive error.”

But he added that clarity was needed over the funding for the tests.

Patricia Marquis, director for England for the Royal College of Nursing, added: “Nursing staff require access to free testing because many work in close proximity with clinically vulnerable people and we need to prevent hospitals and other care settings from becoming a place where Covid-19 spreads easily.

“Tight NHS and care budgets should not be asked to cover these costs – the Government must continue to show its support for healthcare workers.”