Coronavirus: Essential workers and families can book tests from tomorrow, government announces

Health secretary's comments comes as ministers scramble to reach target of 100,000 tests per day by end of April

Essential workers and their families will be able to book a coronavirus test on the government website from Friday, as ministers scramble to reach their target of 100,000 tests per day in seven days' time.

Expanding the criteria of those who can be tested for covid-19, Matt Hancock said all vital workers will be able to book an appointment, with the ultimate goal of providing tests to "everyone" in the country who could "benefit from a test".

It comes as the government faces escalating criticism over the number of daily tests conducted across the country – with just 23,000 swabs taken in the last 24 hours, despite a capacity now exceeding 50,000 tests per day.

The health secretary also announced he would be hiring 18,000 people to start testing-and-tracing for the virus in the community, including public health specialists and 3,000 clinicians.

He gave no date for the process starting – with pressure to be ready for any easing of the lockdown at the start of May – but said the government would be “training up contact tracers over coming weeks”.

Speaking at the No 10 daily press conference, Mr Hancock said the government’s 100,000 tests per day target by the end of April was “challenging”, as announced the expansion of new groups of workers eligible for tests.

“We are now able to expand who can get the tests,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is that everyone who can benefit from a test, gets a test. But of course we have to start by prioritising patients, in hospital, followed by NHS and social care colleagues and those in care homes.

He continued: “We can make it easier, faster and simpler for any essential worker in England who needs a test, to get a test. From today employers of essential workers will be able to go on gov.uk to get a test for any of their staff who need a test.

“From tomorrow any essential workers who need a test will be able to book an appointment on gov.uk themselves directly. This applies for people in essential workers’ households too who need a test. It’s all part of getting Britain back on her feet.”

The health secretary said those considered essential workers can enter their details on the government’s website and they will be invited to an appointment. Once the test is completed, the results will be communicated by test, he added.

“I want to make as easy as possible for people to get a test, not least because we are talking about people who are ill.”

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, said it was “crucial” that greater numbers of critical workers are now able to access testing, adding Labour will “continue to hold the government to account for the promise it has made”.

‘Yesterday we urged the government to do more testing and we have consistently questioned why ministers were not moving to a test and trace strategy,” he said. “It is welcome ministers now recognise the importance of testing and tracing.”