Britain could miss COVID-19 testing target, says minister

FILE PHOTO: Britain's Justice Secretary Robert Buckland leaves after attending a meeting to address the government's response to the coronavirus outbreak, at Cabinet Office in London, Britain March 12, 2020. REUTERS/Simon Dawson

Britain could miss its target of carrying out 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of April, Justice Minister Robert Buckland said on Thursday.

Some 52,429 tests were carried out on Wednesday, according to the latest figures, putting Britain on course to miss the target set by the health minister.

"Even if it isn't met, we are well on our way to ramping this up," Buckland told BBC television.

(Reporting by Sarah Young; editing by Kate Holton)