The government is cutting back on coronavirus awareness advertising - here’s why

Major issues with the government’s coronavirus testing program mean that people all over the UK are struggling to book drive through tests or order home testing kits. It has now been reported that government-bought adverts encouraging people with symptoms to get tested have been “scaled back.”

Throughout the pandemic, the government has spent significant sums of money on physical and online advertising to reinforce various aspects of its approach to fighting coronavirus. This included encouraging members of the public to get tested if they think they’re experiencing covid symptoms.

Now, PoliticsHome reports that, according to a government source, the Department of Health has stripped back its advertising campaign for testing, as a response to the current issues around demand outweighing capacity.

This is reportedly part of a broader plan to reduce the number of people trying to get tested, alongside a reduction in testing appointments in areas which are currently thought to be less affected by coronavirus, and changes to the test booking website.

‘Losing control of the virus’

On 15 September, Labour’s shadow Health Secretary Jon Ashworth quizzed Health Secretary Matt Hancock about the lack of testing in Parliament, accusing him of “losing control of the virus.”

The government has been accused of failing to adequately anticipate the rise in demand for testing with children going back to school, but Hancock told the commons earlier this week that “capacity for testing is at a record high.”