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Hannah Graham

Piers Morgan takes time off Good Morning Britain as he awaits coronavirus test results

Good Morning Britain host Piers Morgan is undergoing testing for Covid-19 on medical advice.

The often outspoken presenter won't be returning to the show until he has been cleared by doctors.

Piers announced he had taken a test "out of an abundance of caution" but reassured fans that his symptoms were "mild".

On Sunday night, he tweeted: "UPDATE: On medical advice, and out of an abundance of caution for a mild symptom that arose in past 48hrs, I’ve had a test for COVID-19 and so won’t be working on @GMB until I get the result back, which should be tomorrow."

Under new government guidelines, NHS Covid-19 tests are now available to all key workers and those who do work which cannot be done outside the home. As a broadcaster carrying out public service journalism work, Piers Morgan is among those classed as an "essential worker".

The availability of tests for those with coronavirus symptoms has become a key issue for the UK government in recent weeks. Health Secretary Matt Hancock has claimed to have passed the target of 100,000 tests per day, although the figure includes testing kits posted to people's homes, whether or not they have been used yet.

But on Sunday, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps admitted fewer people might have died if testing capacity had reached these levels earlier. More than 28,000 people have now died after testing positive for the virus in the UK.

Frequently controversial host Piers has been a vocal critic of both government policy and individuals breaking lockdown rules during the Covid-19 crisis.

He recently divided opinion with a furious tirade at Care Minister, Helen Whately, who he accused of failing to answer important questions on deaths in care homes and of frontline NHS workers.

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