25million Brits are now eligible for coronavirus tests including over-65s and anyone leaving home to work, Hancock says

ANYONE who leaves home to go to work can now be tested for coronavirus, Matt Hancock revealed today.

The Health Secretary expanded testing for Covid-19 to make sure around 15 million more people more can get checked - under radical plans to get the country moving again.

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Mr Hancock also confirmed that testing has been expanded to include:

• Care home residents, staff and NHS workers without symptoms
• All over-65s and their families with symptoms
• Anyone who have to leave home to work and has symptoms, including builders, plumbers, those in manufacturing
• Families of anyone who leaves the house to work and has symptoms

It takes the number of Brits eligible for swab tests to around 25 million - after ten million key workers were included last week.

Speaking at today's press briefing, Mr Hancock said: "Anyone living or working in care homes can now get access to a test whether they have symptoms or not.

"And we now have the capacity to go further still.

"From now, we will be making testing available to all over 65s and their households with symptoms and workers who have to leave home to go to work and members of their households who have symptoms.

"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.

"It's possible because we've expanded capacity for testing thus far."

25k home tests by Friday

The five ways individuals can get a test are:

1. Testing in NHS hospitals
2. Regional test centres in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
3. Satellite centres
4. Be sent a home test kit
5. Mobile testing units which travel around the country.

The Health Secretary said as part of the plans to increase testing capacity - to hit the 100,000-day target by the end of April - more tests would be available.

Home testing will be increased from 5,000 a day to 25,000 by this Friday, while 53 new mobile testing sites staffed by the Army are due to open by the end of the week - taking the total to 70.

He said: "At the start of the month we set a goal of 100,000 tests a day - every day we are ramping this up and we are on track to meet that goal. 

"There are now 41 drive thrus, 48 going live this week.

"For people who can't get to the tests we are expanding home tests to get it to them.

"We will be expanding home from 5,000 last Friday to 25,000 a day this Friday.

"By the end of the week we plan to have over 70 mobile testing units deployed.

"All of this has led to an increase in daily test in capacity of 73,400."

Mr Hancock also confirmed during the press briefing that from now on, the Department of Health will report deaths in hospital, care homes and the community daily - despite the fact previously it's just been hospital deaths.

Key workers tested

Last week Mr Hancock announced around ten million key workers from the NHS and care staff to police officers, firefighters, journalists and supermarket staff would be able to get tests through a new online portal if they needed one.

But yesterday, home tests kits online were unavailable only an hour after new slots were released.

It was the fourth day in a row sick Brits were unable to get a hold of the tests they need through the portal.

10,000 home testing kits were ordered yesterday through the site.

Until then, only limited numbers of Brits such as patients, health and care workers and some key public sector staff were eligible for a test.

At the start of the month we set a goal of 100,000 tests a day - every day we are ramping this up and we are on track to meet that goal

Matt HancockHealth Secretary

Brits without a car will be offered a home test, including swabs and instructions – with 5,000 kits sent out daily before the scheme is ramped up.

They will be delivered by Amazon within 24 hours, before being collected the next day by Royal Mail.

All those tested will get their results by text within 48 hours of having their swab taken.

The Department of Health and Social Care has launched a new web portal for employers and self-referral for key workers and their families.

Anyone can check if they are eligible and where they can get a test at www.gov.uk/coronavirus.

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More than 21,000 people have died from coronavirus in hospitals in the United Kingdom.

And the Care Quality Commission (CQC) reported there had been more than 4,000 deaths in care homes in England.

But the true total death toll is thought to be far higher.