Coronavirus testing is available for millions more people in England from today after the government loosened rules on who can apply.
Expanded eligibility now means care home residents and staff with or without symptoms can request testing.
While people over 65 and anyone who must leave home to go to work can now book a test if they have symptoms.
No 10 aims to hit its target of 100,000 tests per day by Thursday, with just over 43,000 taking place as of Monday.
The expansion in eligibility beyond just essential workers and hospital patients means 25 million people can now book through the government’s test-booking website, testing coordinator Prof John Newton told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
Testing capacity has now increased to 73,400 a day, according to Downing Street, though home testing kits and appointments at regional centres in Wales ran out around an hour after Wednesday’s slots launched for booking at 08:00 BST.
Speaking at the latest coronavirus briefing, Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “From construction workers to emergency plumbers, from research scientists to those in manufacturing, the expansion of access to testing will protect the most vulnerable and help keep people safe.”
Source: HM Government
