Coronavirus home tests have run out after less than 30 minutes today – as the government comes under pressure to ramp up testing.
On Thursday the number of people eligible for tests was increased to include ‘essential workers’ – but yesterday the new service was overwhelmed by huge demand.
And by 8.30am on Saturday there were no Covid-19 tests available on the gov.uk website.
Appointments to visit regional testing sites in England and Wales were also unavailable by 9am – but drivers could still arrange to visit centres in Scotland.
People who qualify for tests need to be showing symptoms of the deadly bug – with a dry cough and temperature being the most common.
Yesterday a limited supply of just 1,000 tests vanished off the government’s website after Matt Hancock launched them for 10million key workers and their families.
On Thursday the Tory Health Secretary announced he would expand Covid-19 testing to all “essential workers” – including supermarket workers, delivery drivers and teachers – plus those who live with them.
NHS England medical director Prof Stephen Powis said this morning there is now capacity for more than 50,000 coronavirus tests for key workers.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast, Prof Powis urged key workers showing Covid-19 symptoms to visit the Government’s website and book a test.
Asked how many tests are available today, he said: “We are going at capacity, over 50,000 now. The aim is to get to 100,000 by Thursday.
“The NHS has committed to capacity of 25,000 within NHS laboratories and we are on trajectory for that capacity to be in place.”
Prof Powis continued: “It is a test as to whether you have the virus. It’s not a test whether you’ve had it in the past.
“I would urge people who fit in that criteria, key workers, to go back onto the website as more appointments become available.”
A Whitehall source told the Mirror yesterday: “We expected to be running out on Day One. It shows the demand is there.”
Who is eligible for a test?
Those who the government has classified as “essential workers” in England and members of their households.
The government say they hope that the devolved administrations will follow suit.
In the UK there are around 10million people classed as essential workers but their households will also be eligible under the scheme.
NHS staff and care home workers are already being referred for testing by their workplaces.
But now other workers will be eligible.
It it the same list of occupations used by the government to determine whether or not you can continue to send your children to school during lockdown.
Key workers on the list are the same as those for access to schools, and include NHS and social care workers, police officers, teachers, social workers, those in the justice system, undertakers, some in local government, supermarket and food production workers, journalists, transport workers and some people in utilities and IT.