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Wales Online
National
Branwen Jones

Do other countries provide free Covid tests?

On Monday, February 21, the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that free testing would end in England from April 1.

Following the announcement, the Welsh Government has indicated it will be unable to provide free Covid testing to everyone.

In Mr Johnson's plan, only some groups will be able to access testing. The detail on that is expected in March however it is thought that it will be limited to the most vulnerable in terms of age and health.

The UK Government has confirmed it will not give Wales, or the other devolved nations, extra money if they want to continue with free testing. It will likely mean that if Wales wishes to continue offering free testing it will have to find the money from existing budgets, and taking it from elsewhere.

As the UK Government pushes for free testing to be scrapped, we took a look at how much Covid testings - both lateral flow or antigen tests and PCR tests, where charged in other countries around the world.

Read more: Welsh Government issues statement on future of free Covid testing in Wales

Australia

In January, the Australian Government introduced a federal scheme which would allow pensioners and concession card holders, for example people that receive age pensions, carer payment and disability support pension, to access up to 10 free rapid antigen tests over three months through their pharmacists.

However, the scheme was faced with some difficulties at the start due to supply issues. Concession card holders said they couldn't track down rapid antigen tests on the first day of the government's scheme.

The ACCC also raised significant concerns about the retail price of rapid antigen tests, reportedly often costing between $20-30 per test (which is around £10.70-16.00 here) and sometimes over $70 a test through smaller retail outlets, despite wholesale costs ranging between $3.95 and $11.45 a test.

Belgium

Canal Spiegelrei in Bruges (Istock/Getty)

Covid tests are also paid for in Belgium, and is said to be more expensive that nearby countries such as France and the Netherlands. Antigen self-tests are sold in pharmacies around €6-8 (which around £5-7 here), but tests are available in Belgian supermarkets for €3.

However, Covid testing prices are expected to go lower in Belgium, with one pharmacy chain announcing last week that they would begin to sell tests for around €1.99.

PCR tests, which usually cost around €41, is free for people with symptoms or alternatively can be reimbursed by health insurance. Generally, self-tests are paid for by individuals.

Canada

Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada (Getty Images)

Some Canadian provinces have programs in place that distribute free Covid-19 rapid test kits and others have extensive testing programs. For example, people in Alberta can get free Covid-19 rapid antigen testing kits for at-home use, while in British Columbia there are some private pay clinics that offer testing for a fee to people who require asymptomatic testing for reasons that fall outside of the province's public health recommendations, such as travel or employment.

The Canadian Government, other provincial or territorial governments and distribution partners, also provide free Covid-19 rapid tests to organisations, which apply through federal programs. These tests are used to regularly screen employees who must work on-site.

In Ontario, the one leading pharmaceutical company in Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart, offers provincial rapid antigen distribution and public Covid-19 PCR testing for free. Asymptomatic Rapid Antigen Screening for Covid-19 is available for the general public $40 per screening, while PCR testing for international outbound travel costs around $150, plus applicable taxes.

France

The French capital of Paris (Getty)

Self-administered tests in France costs between €4 and €5 in pharmacies, while multipacks found in supermarkets cost €1.25.

Lateral flow tests and PCR tests administered in pharmacies, laboratories and testing centres are free for people registered with the French healthcare system and are fully vaccinated. However, people who are not in the system, for example tourists, and those who are not fully vaccinated pay about €25 (£20) for a lateral flow and around €45 (£37.50) for a PCR.

Germany

Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany (Birmingham Post and Mail)

In October, Germany abolished its free rapid Covid testing, which was used to get into venues such as theatres and football stadiums. Unvaccinated people - except for pregnant women, children and those that have been advised not to get the vaccine on medical grounds, must pay for tests.

The German Government hoped that people would no longer rely on the testing system as a way to avoid getting the vaccine. But the free testing scheme was reintroduced in November of last year as an attempt to curb the rapidly rising Covid infection rate in Germany.

Spain

Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain (Sylvain Sonnet)

Like Canada, testing schemes vary in each region of Spain. For example, in the region of Madrid, the government has distributed 5m free antigen tests, which people can collect from pharmacies or in other parts of the Spanish capital city.

Test kits had been selling for around €10 (£8.35), but in January, the Spanish Government decided to cap the price of antigen tests on sale in pharmacies at €2.94 (£2.45).

The US

The Statue of Liberty with Lower Manhattan in the background in New York (Getty Images)

The cost and access to rapid antigen and PCR tests depends on where you live and what health insurance you have, which can be considerably varied across the US.

In a pharmacy or supermarket, a rapid antigen test could cost you around $15 (£11). Since January however, there has been a large increase in free testing centres across the country, as well as millions of test kits for schools.

On the other hand, PCR tests are available at private clinics, costing $100 or more, but are also available for free at some hospitals and clinics.

In December, President Joe Biden announced that half a billion free at-home Covid tests would be made available as an attempt to fight the Omicron variant.

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