COVID-19 test costs and workforce incentives (FOI)

Request

A

Please could you tell if workplaces or individuals that take part in the Covid-19 workplace testing program receive any sort of incentive financial or otherwise for taking part in this program from March 2020 until now?

B

Also how much is it costing the Jersey public as in the taxpayer per Covid-19 PCR test that is done free through the Airport, harbour arrivals, work place testing, community/school/hospital and any other testing? Please break this down to PCR tests and lateral flow tests in each of the settings that I have outlined?

C

Also advise how much it costs per PCR and lateral flow test including the labour and time for processing each of these tests?

Response

A

Workplaces do not receive any financial incentive from Government of Jersey to participate in workforce screening. The benefit of participating in workforce screening is that the employer and employees know their Covid-19 status and can therefore protect staff and customers and can incorporate this into their business continuity plans.

B

Costs of the service are not separately calculated by type or location but are calculated for the service as a whole. Information regarding costs of the service is presented in the Government of Jersey Annual Report and Accounts, page 147.

To date, lateral flow tests have been provided by the Department of Health & Social Care (UK), at no cost. The Government of Jersey pays for postage, to deliver the test kits to workplaces. There are no additional staff costs for this service.

C

From March 2020 to July 2021, 551,082 tests have been conducted and the total costs recorded in the financial system up to 31 July 2021 for both phase 1 and phase 2 of the testing and tracing programme is £39,550,418, therefore the average cost to Government per PCR test is £72. The processing time for PCR tests is regularly updated on www.gov.je, therefore Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied.

Lateral Flow Tests are administered by the individual. The results are available within 20 – 30 minutes.

Article applied

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information