Thousands of Brits will soon be eligible to be tested for the coronavirus test, regardless of if they show symptoms or not.
As Britain rapidly tries to expand its testing capacity to git a 100,000 test target by the end of the month, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said that more people would now be eligible to be tested.
Mr Hancock said tests would be available to asymptomatic residents and staff of care homes, and patients and staff in the NHS.
He also said that workers who have to leave their home to carry out their jobs would also now be eligible for testing, but only if they showed symptoms.
"Anyone working or living in a care home can get tested, symptoms or not," he said at the daily Downing Street press conference.
He added: "From now, we’re making testing available to all over 65s and their households with symptoms, and all workers who would have to leave home to go to work and members of their households who have symptoms.”
The full list of people who can be tested for coronavirus as detailed on the government website are:
- All those working on the frontline in health and social care (with or without symptoms)
- Patients in the NHS and residents in care homes (with or without symptoms)
- All other essential workers with symptoms
- People who live with essential workers and have symptoms
- People over 65 with symptoms
- Anyone who goes into work because they cannot work from home (for example, construction workers) and has symptoms
Mr Hancock later added: “Testing is now available to all over 65s, and their households, if they have symptoms.
"Any worker who needs to leave their home in order to go to work, and their households, if any of them have symptoms can also get a test.
"This means construction workers to emergency plumbers, research scientists to those in manufacturing - can now be tested.
“All they need to do is go on the internet and apply for a test.”
The Government also announced that it will release daily updates on the number of deaths from coronavirus in care homes and in the community.
The move follows criticism that only deaths in hospitals are being released every day with the care home figures only revealed weekly by the Office for National Statistics.
Mr Hancock said: “From tomorrow we’ll be publishing not just the number of deaths in hospital each day but the number of deaths in care homes and the community too.”
The UK figure in hospitals today reached 21,749 - but there are fears the real figure including care homes could be as much as 55% higher.
There have been 4,343 deaths involving Covid-19 in just two weeks.
