Rapid testing for all in bid to ease restrictions

Latest updates and essential advice from The Independent [View in browser]( [Alternate text] Daily briefing April 05, 2021 Today’s essential news from the source you trust This morning’s headlines Everyone in England will be able to take [a free rapid Covid test twice a week]( under a new testing regime launching on Friday. The government says the tests, which will be available to everyone regardless of whether or not they have symptoms, will “stop outbreaks in their tracks” as the vaccine rollout continues. News of the policy comes ahead of an announcement by Boris Johnson on Monday, which will outline the extent to which the UK will make use of Covid “passports” - both at home and for international travel. Mr Johnson has previously suggested the certificates could carry information on whether someone has been tested, in addition to their vaccination status. Labour welcomed the move to make more tests available but echoed experts’ concerns that testing needed to be “backed up by decent financial support so sick people can isolate”. The number of Irish passports issued in Britain [surged following the Brexit vote](, official figures suggest. Data shared by Ireland’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney - which he said showed “the number of passports issued to applicants resident in Great Britain” - suggested that figure exceeded 422,000 between 2016 and 2020. Some 46,400 Irish passports were issued to residents of Britain in 2015 and 63,500 in 2016, the year the UK voted to leave the European Union. This rose to more than 120,000 in 2019 alone. In total some 358,900 Irish passports have been issued to British residents since 2017, the official figures suggest. Yellow weather warnings issued by the Met Office are in place until midnight on Monday as forecasters warned [nowhere is “immune” to wintry showers this week](. Weather warnings have been issued in northern parts of Scotland, where gale-force winds and heavy snowfall of up to 15cm are forecast this Easter Monday. The UK is entering an “Arctic trough” following a short-lived heatwave early last week, which saw temperatures in some parts of England reaching 50-year highs for the time of year. Craig Snell, forecaster for the Met Office, said that “nowhere is going to be immune” from potential snowfall and wintry showers, though any snow is unlikely to stay. By Monday, temperatures in London may drop to 8C, Manchester 7C and Leeds a chilly 5C. . We need your support The Independent employs over 100 journalists around the world to bring you news you can trust. Please consider showing your support with a contribution. [Contribute]( . Top stories [Female teachers ‘worry about walking school corridors alone’ due to abuse]( [Two-week-old baby killed after pram hit by car on pavement]( [Dubai police arrest group over ‘lewd’ video of naked women]( . Sign up to our free newsletters Subscribe to a wide range of free newsletters for exclusive news and features from our specialist reporters across the world . Stories chosen for you - [Hundreds of thousands of Irish passports issued to Britons since Brexit vote]( - [Police attacked with petrol bombs in Northern Ireland rioting]( - [Editor’s Letter: Keir Starmer has done an outstanding job in his first year as Labour leader]( - [Letters: Keir Starmer has one quality the Tories never will – integrity]( - [Will Boris Johnson struggle to get MPs behind Covid passports?]( . News you can trust The Independent has a 100% NewsGuard trust rating [NewsGuard] [Find out more]( . If you can spare two minutes we’d love to hear your [feedback]( on our newsletters [Alternate text] Join the conversation or follow us [Twitter]( [Facebook]( Please do not reply directly to this email You are currently registered to receive The Independent's News email. Add us to your safe list of senders. If you do not want to receive The Independent News email and Breaking News alerts, please [unsubscribe](list_name=IND_Headlines_Masterlist_CDP). If you no longer wish to receive any newsletters or promotional emails from The Independent, you can unsubscribe [here](. This e-mail was sent by Independent Digital News and Media Ltd, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5HF. Registered in England and Wales with company number 07320345. Read our [privacy notice]( and [cookie policy](.