Children as young as five can now be tested for coronavirus
EVERYONE aged five and over is now eligible to be tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms, including a loss of taste or smell.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock drastically increased the number of people who can get tested for Covid-19 across the UK, with the Government trying to track the spread of the disease in order to ease the lockdown.
Previously only essential workers, the over-65s and individuals who live with them could apply for coronavirus testing on the NHS website if they were showing symptoms.
Mr Hancock said he was “expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before” as ministers try to hit the new goal of having the ability to carry out 200,000 tests per day by the end of the month.
“I can announce to the House that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test,” he told MPS. “That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.”
Mr Hancock also said that 21,000 contact tracers, including 7,500 health care professionals, had been recruited in England to help track people who have come into contact with infected individuals.
The tracers will advise them whether they need to enter self-isolation in an effort to drive down the spread of the virus.
Along with the NHS app being “successfully piloted”, Mr Hancock said that ministers now have the “elements we need to roll out” the test and trace programme.
But he said the Government is “perfectly prepared to hire more” tracers after surpassing the target of employing 18,000.
Downing Street said earlier that the app would be up and running in the coming weeks in England, even though Mr Hancock said last week it would be rolled out in mid May.
Regarding symptoms, until now the NHS 111 coronavirus symptom checker has only listed high temperature and cough as the symptoms that require further action.