Coronavirus: Viral Testing Now Available to Millions of Workers

Image copyright
AFP / Getty image

Up to 10 million key workers and their households can now book coronavirus tests online or through their employer.

By moving All essential workers Register for a test in the UK Government websiteIf they or their family members have viral symptoms.

Secretary of Health Matt Hancock said the expanded test program is “part of bringing Britain back on her feet.”

However, the government is still a bit short of achieving its goal of testing 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month.

Thursday’s figures show that 23,560 tests were run, but Hancock said the capacity increased to 51,000 per day.

The data show that an additional 616 people died of the virus in a British hospital, bringing the total death toll to 18,738.

• How close is the UK to 100,000 tests per day?
• Patients first injected in UK vaccine trial

Mobile test unit

The Secretary of Health announced Thursday’s Downing Street Coronavirus briefing arrangements for a new test and promised to recruit 18,000 people to track the contacts of infected individuals.

The NHS and social care workers, police officers, teachers, justice system people, supermarket and food production workers, journalists and transport workers are now eligible to enroll in the test.

Previously, a smaller group of key workers, one whose work was considered important to Covid-19’s response, was tested.

Hancock said that when people enter their details online, they will be sent a text or email inviting them to book at a drive-through center or request a home test kit, but the latter is currently out of supply. limited.

A help desk has been set up to assist in this process, and mobile units run by the Army are moving across the country to care centers and other necessary locations.

In the test, a swab on the nose and the back of the throat are taken.

Major workers who do not have access to government websites can apply for the test as employers can book on behalf of their staff.

Media playback on device is not supported

To date, hospitals have conducted testing with a network of approximately 30 drive-through centers in parking lots, airports and playgrounds.

However, the drive-through center is not always in a convenient location and may have discouraged people from taking the test.

Hancock said his current ability to carry out the tests is “more than planned”.

“We’ve increased the capacity so much that we can have more people take the test,” he said.

“Our ultimate goal is to take the test for everyone who can benefit from it.”

The Welsh Government has previously outlined plans to extend inspections to key workers, and the Northern Ireland Minister of Health has announced a national inspection program Expanding Includes front-line workers in the private sector.

Scotland has prioritized testing for NHS staff and has not yet announced the extension of testing to key workers.

Image copyright
Getty images

Hancock also elaborated on plans for a network of contact tracers used when lockdowns were mitigated, and the “test, track, track” process was “essential” to stop the second peak of the virus. Insisted.

It is expected that local outbreaks of the virus can be kept under control by isolating people with the virus, then tracking their contact and isolating them.

The Secretary of Health said he would put in place an infrastructure that would allow contact tracking to be deployed on a “large scale.”

Labor shadow health minister Justin Madders welcomes the move to extend the test to key workers, but wonders what is being done to improve access to the test. did.

He said many people had to drive to the test station for more than an hour, which was probably “the biggest obstacle for people taking the test”.

In the 10th briefing, Professor John Newton, coordinator of the UK’s coronavirus testing program, said the government was “on the move” by reaching 100,000 tests a day by the end of April. It was

He said new types of tests, including those that do not rely on a shortage of reagents, will help achieve the goal.

Elsewhere, said Hancock Scotland Prime Minister Nikola Sturgeon’s plan to ease blockade restrictions, “It was very similar” to the British government’s approach.

In other developments:

• of First European human trial of coronavirus vaccine started in Oxford -Inject into the first two volunteers
• Star and royal family Raised over £ 27m BBC One Charity Special “Big Night Inn”
• Tobias Elwood, Conservative Chairman of the Defense Choice Commission, said the government was “too late to get what was needed” for frontline staff.
• The crew of a submarine who was having a party during the blockade of the coronavirus was filmed, Encourage the Royal Navy to investigate

---

Are you a key worker planning to book a coronavirus test on the UK Government website? Share your experience by email [email protected].

Please include your contact number if you would like to talk to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us by the following method.