Anyone over five years old with symptoms is now eligible for a coronavirus test under expansions of the programme announced by the government.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock set out plans for "easier, faster and simpler" testing so more people can access a Covid-19 test to tell if they currently have the virus.
Wider testing will be essential before the government can ease up properly on the UK lockdown - because it'll show whether the virus is running rampant again.
Mr Hancock told the House of Commons on May 18: "Everyone aged 5 and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test. That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now."
It was the latest expansion in eligibility, three weeks after testing was extended to over-65s or people who need to leave home for work, with symptoms.
The Health Secretary added: "Our ultimate goal is that everyone who could benefit from a test gets a test."
But you may have to drive for a 90-minute round trip to get a test and there has been heavy demand on new kits posted to your home.
Meanwhile, critics have slammed the slow rollout of testing to the wider community after it was initially ditched due to lack of capacity in March.
Here's who is eligible and how the system will work.
Who is eligible for a test?
As the UK extends its testing capacity a growing list of people are eligible to be tested:
- All those in the UK who have symptoms and are over five years old in the UK
- 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)*
*But there's a catch...
What about care homes?
More than a third of all the nation's care homes have had an outbreak after repeated failings to take tests early in the pandemic.
Staff and residents were not routinely able to have a coronavirus test until April 15. And nor were patients coming into care homes from hospitals routinely tested until that date.
The government's guidance now says care home residents and staff can be tested, with or without symptoms.
But the government's roadmap for easing lockdown says this is only expected to roll out fully by June 6.
How sick do you have to be?
You need to show symptoms in order to be tested, unless you are in a care home of the NHS.
The three main symptoms are a new and persistent dry cough; a temperature; and changes to your sense of taste or smell.
What will the test show?
It will show if you currently have Covid-19. This is useful to prove if your symptoms are actually the virus. It does not show if you've had Covid-19 in the past.
It will help people work out when they and their household members can return to work safely.
Where do I log on to book a test?
Visit the government's web page. Slots for home testing kits tend to appear at 8am and can be snapped up quickly.
Where do I go to get tested?
The first port of call is a drive-through testing centre.
The government expects you to be able to drive for up to 45 minutes from your home to get to a drive-through site, leaving some with potentially a 90-minute round trip.
What if I can't drive?
For those who don't live near enough to a testing site or can't drive there are other options.
Home testing kits have been available since late April. The availability of these was "limited" at first, with 5,000 selling out within two minutes on the first day.
What about other ways of getting tested?
Meanwhile 'satellite' test kits are also being sent directly to care homes to enable residents with symptoms to be tested.
And the Army is helping set up mobile testing units which "travel the country" to places like care homes, police stations and prisons.
How long will I wait for results?
The government claims test results are being turned around and sent out within 48 hours, or 72 hours for home testing kits after you send the sample off.
Test results come by text message.
But many have reported longer waits for tests to come back.
Why were essential workers getting tested first?
The aim was simple - to ensure they can get back to work.
Because the test shows if you currently have Covid-19, it also can given an indication that your cough is just a false alarm.
So people who've been self-isolating to protect others due to a mild cough can get back on the front line.
What's it like getting the test?
The test involves taking a swab of the nose and throat - and it goes back pretty far, so be prepared.
A single swab is used to collect a liquid sample from the back of your throat and your nose.
This swab is then placed into a sample tube and securely packaged, where it is sent to the lab for testing.
Depending on where you get tested, you will either have a clinician take your swab or be asked to do it yourself.
