The UK Government's new Covid-19 test booking website has closed, just hours after its official launch to key workers in England on Friday (April 24).
The website opened for individuals this morning, allowing 10 million key workers and their households to access testing via a home kit or by visiting a drive-through facility.
Key workers previoulsy had to be referred for testing by their employer.
The home test kit, which the Government said would initially be limited to 1,000 per day, reportedly ran out at 8.30am.
The website read: "Currently, only drive through tests are available. We've issued today's allocation of home test kits. If you need a home test kit, check back here tomorrow, when more will be available."
The website also stopped taking appointments for drive-through testing not long afterwards.
Frustrated users were met by a message which read: "Coronavirus test applications closed.
"You can't currently register for a Covid-19 test. Please check back here later."
The website is part of the UK Government's strategy to meet its target of 100,000 tests per day by the end of the month.
Speaking to Good Morning Britain this morning, Matt Hancock said he was "carefully" watching to ensure the website could handle the expected traffic.
He said: "As with all 'switch-ons' of IT systems, there's always a moment when you're running it that you concentrate on it very carefully, shall I put it that way?
"That switch-on has gone live this morning."
Meanwhile, the Welsh Government has said that the system allowing key workers and their families in Wales to book tests “should” be available next week.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Our key workers testing policy, published on April 19, set out how we are extending testing to key workers in Wales including, for example, teachers, food delivery drivers and refuse collectors.
“Following a rapid review, we also published new plans to simplify and speed up the system and ensure more key workers are tested daily in Wales.
“This includes military planning support and the development of an online testing portal. We are also working with Amazon Logistics to give people a choice between going to a drive-in test centre or having a home test kit.”
