Pressure on Health Service is “Abating”, Says Michael Gove, As He Refuses to Rule Out End of Free Lateral Flow Tests

In what may be a sign of things to come, arch-lockdown fanatic Michael Gove has begun to pivot, contradicting Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi by refusing to rule out the end of free lateral flow tests and saying the pressure on the NHS is “abating”. “We are moving to a situation where it is possible to say that we can live with Covid,” the Housing Secretary said. Sky News has the story.

But when asked by Kay Burley on Monday for how long the [lateral flow] devices will remain free for all, Mr Gove said: “It is the case that in this country lateral flows are free – unlike in many other jurisdictions – they are a vital tool in making sure that we can curb the spread of the infection and also that people who need to isolate do so.

“But, as you pointed out right at the beginning of our conversation, we are moving to a situation – we are not there yet – but we are moving to a situation where it is possible to say that we can live with Covid and that the pressure on the NHS and on vital public services is abating.

“But, it is absolutely vital to recognise that we are not there yet. And as the health secretary has reminded us there will be some difficult weeks ahead and that is why we all need to continue to test, continue – if we are positive – to isolate, and continue broadly to support the NHS as it goes through a challenging period but one in which the frontline professionals are doing an amazing job.”

Pressed once more on whether the Government is considering phasing out lateral flow tests but not for the coming weeks, Mr Gove replied: “As the Prime Minister and others have said, we will do whatever it takes.”

Sounds like he may be preparing the ground for the wind-down – and it is being reported that Boris is indeed drawing up plans for “living with Covid”. Let’s hope so. Mass testing has long outlived any usefulness it might have had.

Worth reading in full.

Stop Press: Boris says he’s looking at cutting the self-isolation period to five days, according to MailOnline.

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steve_z
4 years ago

“It is the case that in this country lateral flows are free – unlike in many other jurisdictions – they are a vital tool in making sure that we can curb the spread of the infection and also that people who need to isolate do so.”

vital tool? to delay some people getting a runny nose?

just don’t go meet your gran if you are ill

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

They just want to make more and more money out of us and out of this massive scam they have constructed for their friends. to benefit from . Millions have been made. We have never seen such overt dishonesty in High Places – they at least used to try and cover it up!

With permanent “Emergency Powers” and only “One Party” represented in Parliament, thanks to Globalist Kneeler Starmer and his sheep, they can now behave on a whim just as they choose.

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

I see gove I see Mr Burns

I’m not sure who’s whocomment image

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago

His mouth in the photo remidns me of something – I cannot think what. Any suggestions?

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

A badly fitting skin-suit falling off the reptile inside?

Annie
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

A goby. Big, slimy fish gulping against the wall of a fish tank.

Mumbo Jumbo
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

Looks like a rather slack ladies’ body part to me which makes him a bit of a c***.

Aleajactaest
4 years ago
Reply to  Mumbo Jumbo

as Viz would have him, “bit of a Wizard’s Sleeve”

tom171uk
4 years ago
Reply to  Aleajactaest

Or a welly top.

DanClarke
DanClarke
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

A Carp fish

olaffreya
olaffreya
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

Well David – look up lug worms and pictures. Cruel yes – but sadly sums this craven, venial creature up. Never felt such loathsome feelings towards others before as I feel towards these Government sinister clowns. Does not feel good to experience such hate, but cannot deny it.

Annie
4 years ago
Reply to  olaffreya

You should try having the Welsh Dung, or the Scottish Turdgeon, as well.

number 6
number 6
4 years ago
Reply to  olaffreya

A bit unkind to Lub Worms, what?

Black Flag
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

A bull’s arsehole.

DevonBlueBoy
DevonBlueBoy
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

I would suggest a size 10 steel, toe-capped boot planted into it with some considerable force. He is a piece of shit who can do press ups under snakes; by far the worst of an evil bunch

Davke
4 years ago

I always see this guy. Even if he did start life in the Labour Party.

tory-boy-744ba5c2-f8df-4abc-987e-a5033bdacd0-resize-750.jpeg
tom171uk
4 years ago

Oh come on. Mr Burns is far more trustworthy than Gove.

Lockdown Sceptic
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

Like the Jab, Gove’s face is enough to make anyone’s heart bleed

The zealots threatening our civilisation can be beaten
https://www.conservativewoman.co.uk/our-civilisation-is-threatened-now-is-the-time-to-stand-up-and-be-counted/
Ewen Stewart

When you are demonised for speaking the truth you are living in tyranny. Please come and join our friendly events.

Tuesday 11th January 2pm to 3pm
Yellow Boards By the Road  
A321 Lower Wokingham Rd/ 
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Stand in the Park Sundays 10am  make friends, ignore the madness & keep sane 
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Telegram Group 
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Carrie Symonds
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

The only tool I can see is Gove.

Cecil B
Cecil B
4 years ago

Not according to the BBC who report ‘there are no plans’ to end free LFT’s

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

Keep the plebs guessing!

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  Cecil B

Thye never were “free”,

“Taxpayer subsidised”

But accuracy of the MSM narrative has never been a priority.

Hopeless
4 years ago

Is that the same sort of “free”, as in generously-provided “free vaccines” at Pfizer prices and the administration of the same?

Hopeless
4 years ago

“Believe nothing, trust nobody”. Never before has my axiom held so good, as when applied to this joker. Beside him, Cassius was just a rank amateur.

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago
Reply to  Hopeless

They have to keep Gove hidden now – such is his popularity

Hopeless
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

Silver bullets, stakes, crossroads burials, crypts, Whitby and sunlight spring to mind.

realarthurdent
4 years ago

I hope I am wrong but I reckon they will end the free LFTs, but retain them as a requirement for entry to certain venues as an alternative to vaccination.

So they can continue rolling out vaccine passports while claiming that vaccination isn’t mandatory.

So in other words as an unvaccinated person you will need to pay through the nose and undergo an unpleasant swab up your nose to get into the football ground / cinema / theatre etc.

Amtrup
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

Very likely. This is what they’ve done in France, I think.

peyrole
peyrole
4 years ago
Reply to  Amtrup

Nope, from 15 January, the health pass becomes the vaccine pass. No vaccine , no entry. Tests and prior natural immunity are no longer sufficient.

FrankFisher
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

I think you are correct. Buying LFTs will be their version of the greek fine.

brachiopod
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

“As an alternative to vaccination”

I hope you are not suggesting that the ‘vaccines’ being pushed in the UK do anything to stop the spread of ‘the virus’.

But if you are, you are not alone if the people phoning in to a Radio Wales hatchet job show on Novax Djokovic are typical of the British Public.

I suppose I shouldn’t be to condescending though as most politicians and far to many doctors have the same incorrect assumptions about how vaccine work with the immune system to create protection against a pathogen. What is more shocking is that the government advice that we should all be reading is very clear on the importance of having and maintaining a strong and effective immune system in order for the (any) vaccines to work. Couple this with the many controversies over what constitutes the key parts of that immune system and what part each plays and there is a distinct impression that the people we have entrusted the manufacture of the mRNA vaccines to are a bunch of white coated chimpanzees who have just found that they can remove the pin from a hand-grenade.

realarthurdent
4 years ago
Reply to  brachiopod

I hope you are not suggesting that the ‘vaccines’ being pushed in the UK do anything to stop the spread of ‘the virus’.”

Of course not – I’m just suggesting that the authorities may offer an LFT test as an option for those who want to do something which requires a vaccine passport but are unwilling or unable to be vaccinated.

Ironically, an on the day negative LFT test is a far better measure of whether someone has COVID-19 than if they had a vaccination several months ago which we know does little or nothing to prevent infection or transmission.

Banjones
Banjones
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

Surely we all know by now that these tests cannot detect infection. Why not an on-the-moment temperature check?

Rogerborg
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

Acts of repeated self humiliation are actually more in keeping with the purposes of the social credit score apps.

isobar
4 years ago
Reply to  Rogerborg

Exactly; the key objective, which many European governments have achieved in lockstep with each other was always the ‘Covid Passport’ as the fore runner to a CCP style social credit app. I really can’t see the UK Government dropping that now they have it, as approved by our spineless MPs, as part of ‘plan B’.

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  isobar

come on now the income tax was repealed when the Napoleonic war ended.

Emerald Fox
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

Here in Finland LF tests are for sale at around £3/test in the shops. There’s the UK Government’s answer – make a list of ‘approved providers’ (such as Honest Faisal of Halifax) of LFTs, and make sure people have to buy them to get into places, or to see their doctor, etc.
Driving test? You need to show a ‘negative’ result from an LFT.

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  Emerald Fox

But only required for those without sufficient social credit.

Bella Donna
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

Then I wont be going to any of these places that insist of a two tier system.

Banjones
Banjones
4 years ago
Reply to  realarthurdent

And we all know that a quick temperature check would do just as well, be more accurate and cost nothing.

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago

Of all the nasty little men and closet Globalist Marxist/Fascists who we have discovered with surprise hate this country its people and its freedoms and who have emerged as if from under stones during this plotted, despicable fraud on the British public, Gove is probably the nastiest. His political turncoat plans for us all are pure evil. Please do not publish his picture – it causes offence – only that of “Mr Midazolam” Hancock causes more.

Arfur Mo
Arfur Mo
4 years ago
Reply to  David Beaton

Possibly the most nausiating visage in UK politics. With Drakeford as very distant second.

CynicalRealist
4 years ago
Reply to  Arfur Mo

Whitty? OK, not officially a politician but acting like one for the past two years.

amanuensis
4 years ago

Once they remove testing then covid cases will disappear, but they’ll claim it was due to removing testing.

Thus they can keep up the pretence that vaccination reduces covid cases, and thus maintain a requirement for vaccination to occur.

They’re removing the data that would show that their policies have failed.

realarthurdent
4 years ago
Reply to  amanuensis

Exactly this.

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago
Reply to  amanuensis

They are not so clever as they imagine – most on here are several steps ahead of them and their devious lies.

SimCS
4 years ago
Reply to  amanuensis

Do you mean they’ll claim the cases disappeared because of the vaccines (rather than stopping testing)? We know that’s not true of course, and of course they know that we know, but they’ll still claim it anyway.

gone_loopy
gone_loopy
4 years ago

They’re not free

Jon Garvey
4 years ago

“…they are a vital tool in making sure that we can curb the spread of the infection.”

As the current map of cases demonstrates!

Screenshot from 2022-01-10 10-27-23.png
FrankFisher
4 years ago

Who wants to bet that they will figure out the best way to “live with covid” is to mandate “vaccination” with a treatment that doesn’t work?

David Beaton
David Beaton
4 years ago
Reply to  FrankFisher

“Live with Covid”( BS)

But do we have to share the same planet as Gove?

Rogerborg
4 years ago
Reply to  FrankFisher

Tracked and enforced by social credit score apps which measure compliance, not immunity.

Wilko
4 years ago

They are just testing the water, see who shouts loudest and for how long

stewart
4 years ago

The same Gove who was pushing for Plan C?

How many times does a politician have to be catastrophically wrong before they are disqualified from public office?

steve_z
4 years ago

Many years ago I quite liked Gove

He’s gone bloody mental now. Should be in a secure unit where he can’t cause any harm

Cecil B
Cecil B
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

He is in a secure unit…… Parliament

Bella Donna
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

Me too – I thought he would make an excellent PM. Saying that he isn’t the only one that has turned out to be useless, Mogg is another one!

steve_z
4 years ago

‘Living with covid’ will require a clean out of staff. From Whitty et al down.

Whitty (presumably paid more than the PM) left us without a pandemic response plan (we had one which I assume he was happy with – as CMO he didn’t ask for it to be re-written – but he decided it needed to be thrown out when a pandemic came along)

Someone needs prosecuting for gross negligence – the people that a) wrote and signed off the pandemic response plan or b) the people that threw it away

Whitty is in both camps

Amtrup
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

Extremely good point!

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

Everyone in Ecohealth alliance needs life long jailing.

SimCS
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

There’s already ‘genocide’ charges registered in the International Criminal Court in the Hague, citing Botchit Johnson, Handcockup, Whitless, Fauci, Gates, etc.

Paul B
4 years ago

“We are moving to a situation it’s possible to say that we can live” – been there done that bought the T shirt buddy, circa May 2020. Maybe I should be in government, couldn’t be much worse.

Although my dislike for weasel words, and actual political weasels, might make this awkward.

Cecil B
Cecil B
4 years ago

So

‘We have no plans to withdraw free LFT’s’ (BBC)

and

‘We cannot rule out ending free LFT’s’ (DS)

And the prick gets stuck in the lift on the way to delivering the message

‘You plonker’ as Del Boy might say

Rogerborg
4 years ago

The vaxpässen, of course, are not up for discussion.

Everything has led to them, and the scaffolding can now be dismantled.

But the social credit score apps are never, ever going away.

isobar
4 years ago
Reply to  Rogerborg

Spot on, see my reply to your previous post. This was always the key objective.

Cecil B
Cecil B
4 years ago

WATCH: Police pepper-spray protesters demanding to ‘Free Nole’ — RT Sport News

Aussie Gestapo going over the top again

Also reports that Djocovic has been re arrested

steve_z
4 years ago

should have just stuck to this all along

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/213717/dh_131040.pdf

“…in extreme circumstances enable a local authority to impose requirements for medical examination, or for isolation or quarantine”

“Quarantine – Separation of those who are thought to have been exposed to a communicable infection, but are well, from others who have not been exposed in order to prevent further spread.”

nothing about lockdown funnily enough

steve_z
4 years ago
Reply to  steve_z

“There is very limited evidence that restrictions on mass gatherings will have any significant effect on influenza virus transmission”

“In line with the scientific evidence, the Government will not stockpile facemasks for general use in the community. “

Bellingcat
4 years ago

Never trust a slithy tove.

Will
Will
4 years ago

Gove is a poisonous, rubber faced little prick.

Judy Watson
Judy Watson
4 years ago
Reply to  Will

I do think you are being a bit too kind in your description of him.

A passerby
A passerby
4 years ago

Unless you are a serial tester, an easy method, practised since the beginning of time to detect whether or not you are unwell, can be carried out at home from the comfort of your own bed, it requires only one question; do you want to get out of bed or not? If not then you may be suffering from something, it could be Omicronk, a cold, flu or a hangover, please stay in bed until you feel better. Caveat:- For expert advice, call your doctor.

Smelly Melly
4 years ago

Gove, a master abater.

crisisgarden
4 years ago

Can anyone explain the apparent divergence of UK policy from that of mainland Europe, the US and Australia/NZ? Finding it difficult to account for; It feels like we’re backtracking where others march on.

Paul B
4 years ago
Reply to  crisisgarden

Johnson would have been out on his ear if he kept pushing?

Maybe, as others have commented, the stage has already been set for social credit apps?

peyrole
peyrole
4 years ago
Reply to  crisisgarden

There is no divergence. There are just different speeds at various times. Slowly slowly catchee monkee is the current UK policy. The passes have been introduced, Johnson has said they will have to include boosters soon. All that remains is to extend their use for all social venues ,transport, public offices and visiting hospitals/care homes and they will be just like the vaccine passes in France. Give it 6 months. Now they are ‘in’ they are never going ‘out’.

crisisgarden
4 years ago
Reply to  peyrole

I am no less cynical than you; However, how will they possibly be able to justify making them necessary in further settings when introducing them in large venues with crowds was so tricky. And still maintain the pretence that they are about public health? Can’t see that working politically…

peyrole
peyrole
4 years ago
Reply to  crisisgarden

How have they justified bringing them in during omicron?

Bella Donna
4 years ago
Reply to  peyrole

That is what I fear.

isobar
4 years ago
Reply to  Bella Donna

Me too. Amalgamated with the recently launched ‘healthy living’ app and the plans for digital currency. Not had your Covid jabs? Buying unhealthy food, buying tobacco, buying alcohol? Using too much petrol or electricity gas and water? You are not being a ‘good citizen’ Access to your bank account is denied!! It’s never been about a virus, it’s been about control from day one!

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  isobar

a by control they mean coercing as much of the wealth you create as possible from you.

Bella Donna
4 years ago
Reply to  crisisgarden

I read something similar asking the same question on another site. If we had a government we trusted and believed in I’d be thinking we were playing a blinder politically, however we have Bozo and his cabinet so ……. its anybody’s guess.

ComeTheRevolution
ComeTheRevolution
4 years ago

Brilliant talk from Anna De Buisseret. The walls are closing in on the guilty. We have the law on our side and good people are exercising it. These people WILL face justice including the treasonous pieces of filth in Westminster.

Lawyer Anna De Buisseret Speaks On Nuremberg 2 & Common Law
https://www.bitchute.com/video/88dbywRXDqk3/

Bella Donna
4 years ago

I’d even help build the gallows.

artfelix
4 years ago

They aren’t free – they are paid for by taking tax money from our pockets and diverting it from vital services to fund hysterical panic (at best).

Nothing the government pays for is free. They are spending our money, not theirs.

court
4 years ago

Top banner headline on Slynews…

Well blow me down, who knew? Only us, nearly 2 years ago.

It’s all being wound back now, faster than a speeding bullet.

sky.png
TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  court

It’s like corona viruses are also called colds…

Paul B
4 years ago
Reply to  court

The next thing we will be required to believe is that all of this was only just discovered and the powers that be reacted with the science as it changed… blergh.

They have been shitting in our hands and asking us to clap for 2 years!

D B
D B
4 years ago

Does end of free lateral flow testing surmount to a tax on the unvaccinated? Given its currently the only way we can access the vaccine passport system

TheyLiveAndWeLockdown
4 years ago
Reply to  D B

since the jabbed have TWICE the chance of testing positive shouldn’t they be required to LF test if the unjabbed are?

tony rattray
4 years ago

Still a prize prick!

Cecil B
Cecil B
4 years ago

Dear Serbian brothers in arms

This is the address of the Australian Embassy in Belgrade

Ambassador: Daniel Emery

Address8. спрат, Vladimira Popovića 38-40, Beograd 190776, Serbia

JayBee
4 years ago

Germany made the unvaxxed only pay for their tests in the autumn.
That lasted about 3 weeks, then they were made available for free again. Cases dropped massively (unwelcome for the authorities), the unvaxxed stayed at home and just didn’t bother, the official line was the unvaxxed now went to the supermarket untested and more often infected unbeknownst to themselves etc. blah, blah.