The University’s pooled Asymptomatic COVID-19 Screening Programme will end on Monday 31 January.

According to an email sent to students this afternoon (28/01), asymptomatic screening across the University will now be based solely on government lateral flow tests (LFTs).

Students are being asked to take a test twice a week, “typically on Mondays and Thursdays”, as well as before attending large meetings and events. Those who test positive are being asked to report their result to the University’s COVID-19 Helpdesk.

The University has ordered “thousands of kits” from the UK Health Security Agency which will be made available to Colleges for student use; an email sent to Selwyn students this afternoon said that they could expect to receive “a box of seven tests roughly every three weeks”.  In the meantime, students are being asked to get their own kits from their local pharmacy, or the government website.

Individual PCR tests for students within Colleges, such as confirmatory tests for positive LFT results, and Return to Cambridge tests, are also being suspended.

Students showing symptoms of COVID-19 will still be able to book a test via the University testing pods.

The change brings Cambridge in line with other UK universities, such as Oxford and UCL, who are also asking their students to do LFTs twice a week, while Imperial is still offering a weekly PCR test to all students and staff based on campus.

Covid cases remain high in Cambridge, with 2,170 positive tests confirmed in the city over the last week.