Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced that anybody aged five or over who has coronavirus symptoms can now request to be tested.
The government has also recruited 21,000 staff to work on its tracing system, designed to find those who have had contact with someone who has had Covid-19.
Mr Hancock told MPs today: “We are expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before.”
“Yesterday we conducted 100,678 tests. Every day we are creating more capacity and that means more people can be tested, and the virus has fewer places to hide.”
“Today, I can announce to the House that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test. That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.”
“Anyone with a new continuous cough, a high temperature or the loss or change of sense of taste or smell can book a test by visiting nhs.uk/coronavirus.”
The announcement came as the UK recorded its lowest daily coronavirus deaths since the nationwide lockdown began, with 160 fatalities.
This takes the total number of deaths to 34,796, the lowest increase recorded by the Department of Health since 24 March.
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