Coronavirus (COVID-19): testing and isolation advice
This page contains guidance on when to test for COVID-19, how to access tests and what to do if your result is positive.
Testing for those with symptoms of COVID-19
If you have symptoms of COVID-19, or other respiratory infections, you should take a lateral flow test.
You may not have all of the symptoms. Symptoms may vary from person to person or different variants of the virus.
If your test result is positive, you should follow the isolation guidance below.
Even if your COVID-19 test result is negative, if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection and have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
Do this until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you feel better.
You should also not visit others in hospitals, care homes or those who are vulnerable if you're still unwell.
Further information about what to do if you have symptoms of a respiratory infection including COVID-19 is available at:
If you are in a group who may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments and you have symptoms you should follow the guidance at:
Testing for people without COVID-19 symptoms
In Northern Ireland, COVID-19 testing is no longer recommended or available for most people without symptoms of COVID-19.
Some testing is recommended for specific groups to protect the highest risk settings and to support clinical care.
If you do not have symptoms, you should only order lateral flow tests if:
- you may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments and need lateral flow tests in case you become symptomatic
- you are working or visiting others in high risk or vulnerable settings, such as care homes and hospital environments
- you are a carer who provides close personal care for someone who is at higher risk if they contract COVID-19
- your GP or a healthcare professional asks you to take a test
Lateral flow testing
How to get lateral flow tests
If you are eligible you can:
- order free lateral flow tests online
- collect for free from participating pharmacies
You should not collect tests from a pharmacy if you have symptoms. You should order online or ask someone who does not have symptoms to collect the lateral flow tests on your behalf.
If you cannot use the online or pharmacy collect service, call 119 to order a lateral flow test (free from mobiles and landlines).
Lines are open:
- Monday to Friday, from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
- Saturday and Sunday, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
If you may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments, because you have one of the conditions that puts you at the very highest risk of illness should you catch COVID-19, you need to report the result if it is positive, to be assessed for a COVID-19 treatment.
Advice for those who test positive
If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, it's very likely that you have COVID-19 even if you do not have symptoms. This means you can pass on the infection.
If you have a positive COVID-19 test result, you should follow the advice below.
Stay at home and avoid contact with other people for five days after the day of the test, or from the day symptoms started (whichever was earlier).
As children, tend to less infectious than adults, this period is reduced to three days for children and young people under 18 years of age.
As a precautionary measure, you should avoid contact with people you know to be at higher risk from COVID-19 for 10 days, especially those with a weakened immune system, to make sure you are no longer infectious.
You should also continue to take precautions, such as regular washing your hands and wearing a face mask, particularly in crowded indoor places.
Testing to end isolation is no longer advised.
Children and young people
If a child or young person has a positive COVID-19 test result, they should stay at home and avoid contact with other people for three days after the day they took the test or from the day their symptoms started (whichever was earliest), if they can.
After three days, if they feel well and do not have a high temperature, the risk of passing the infection on to others is much lower. This is because children and young people tend to be infectious to other people for less time than adults.
Children and young people who usually go to school, college or childcare and who live with someone who has a positive coronavirus test result should continue to attend as normal.
Children with a positive result are also advised to avoid meeting with anyone who is at higher risk, especially individuals with a weakened immune system, for 10 days from the start of their infection.
Advice for close contacts
People who live in the same household as someone with a positive COVID-19 test are most at risk of becoming infected, as they are likely to have prolonged contact with the infectious person.
You are advised to let everyone in your household know about your positive COVID-19 test result.
COVID-19 is infectious for up to two days before you begin to feel unwell, or the date of your test, and it can take up to 10 days for infection to develop in close contacts. So you should tell anyone you had close contact to be aware of signs or symptoms during this time.
If you know that you have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive during the infectious period, you should avoid contact with people you know to be at higher risk of severe disease should they contract COVID-19 despite vaccination.
You should not visit others in a hospital, care home or other health and care setting.
If you develop symptoms you should follow guidance for people with symptoms.
The Public Health Agency is no longer carrying out contact tracing in the general population.
How to take a lateral flow test
There are several different types of lateral flow devices.
It is important that you follow the instructions in your test kit, as some tests are nasal only tests, meaning a throat swab is not required.
Follow the step-by-step instructions in your test kit to complete the test.
Videos and large print instructions are also available at:
If you are blind or visually impaired, you can download the free Be My Eyes app to get help from trained NHS Test and Trace staff.
Reporting your lateral flow test results
You should report your test result within 24 hours of taking it at the following link:
It's important that you report every lateral flow test result, whether it is negative, positive or void, and receive a result confirmation notification.
This helps the health service track the spread of COVID-19 and manage cases more effectively.
If you are in a group who may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments, because you have one of the conditions that puts you at the very highest risk of illness should you catch COVID-19, you need to report the result if it is positive to be assessed for a COVID-19 treatment.
If you cannot use the online service to report your lateral flow test result, call 119 (free from mobiles and landlines).
Lines are open:
- Monday to Friday, from 8.00 am to 6.00 pm
- Saturday and Sunday, from 9.00 am to 1.00 pm
If you have been given a unique organisation number (UON) when accessing lateral flow tests, you should enter it when reporting your result. Using the UON helps to identify the number of cases related to a workplace or event.
Positive result
If your lateral flow test is positive you should follow the guidance above.
Negative result
If your lateral flow test result is negative, you do not need to self-isolate. It is likely that you did not have COVID-19 at the time you took the test.
Even if your COVID-19 test result is negative, if you have symptoms of a respiratory virus and have a high temperature or do not feel well enough to go to work or carry out normal activities, you should stay at home and avoid contact with other people.
Do this until you no longer have a high temperature (if you had one) or until you feel better.
You should also not to visit hospitals, care homes or those that are vulnerable if you're still unwell.
Further information on what to do if you have symptoms of a respiratory virus including COVID-19 is available at:
If you may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments and have symptoms of COVID-19, but have tested negative using a lateral flow test, you should follow the guidance:
Void result
If the test result is void, this means that the test has not run correctly. You need to take another lateral flow test. Do not reuse anything from the first test.
COVID-19 additional treatments
There are additional treatments available to people with COVID-19 who are at highest risk of becoming seriously ill. These treatments can help some people manage their COVID-19 symptoms and reduce the risk of being admitted to hospital and possible serious COVID-19 illness or death.
Further information is available at:
It is strongly recommended that anyone who is in a group that may be eligible for a COVID-19 treatment should get rapid lateral flow tests to keep at home in case you become symptomatic.
If you are in a group who may be eligible for treatment and have symptoms of COVID-19, you should test as soon as possible with a lateral flow test, even if your symptoms are mild.
Every lateral flow test result should be reported. This is particularly important if you are in a group that may be eligible for COVID-19 treatments and your lateral flow result is positive. You need to report that result to be assessed for a COVID-19 treatment.