Matt Hancock has written off £13.4billion of historic NHS debt in a bid to strengthen the health system amid the raging coronavirus pandemic.

The Health Secretary also made £300million available to fund community pharmacies as 569 people who tested positive for Covid-19 died today.

Mr Hancock broke Government rules on self-isolation to unveil his decision at today's No 10 press briefing after displaying flu-like symptoms last week.

He said: 'These are unprecedented times for our healthcare system and I want to make sure every part of it is supported.

'Today, to help NHS trusts to deliver what's needed without worrying about past finances, I can announce that I am writing off £13.4billion of historic NHS debt.

'This landmark step will not only put the NHS in a strong position to be able to respond to this global coronavirus pandemic, but it will ensure that our NHS has stronger foundations for our future too.'

Matt Hancock (at No10 press briefing) has written off £13.4billion of historic NHS debt in a bid to strengthen the health system amid the raging coronavirus pandemic

Mr Hancock added: 'I've made £300million available for funding for community pharmacies, who do so much to get vital medicines to people and play such an important part in their communities. They themselves are the NHS frontline'.

It comes as the Health Secretary declared the UK will be conducting 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by the end of the month.

He said he 'gets' why there has been criticism as he abandoned the previous centralised approach and urged the wider science industry to help boost capacity.

Defending the Government's response, a querulous and emotional Mr Hancock said that Public Health England had been 'working round the clock'.

Mr Hancock listed five 'pillars' for his new strategy, including:

Increasing swab tests at PHE labs to 25,000 a day;

Bringing research institutions and private sector into the screening system;

Introducing antibody tests if they can be proved effective;

Bolstering community testing;

And enlarging the overall UK diagnostics industry.

Mr Hancock rejected comparisons with huge testing numbers in Germany, saying the UK was building from a 'lower base' when it came to biotech capacity.

He said some of the prototype tests he was being urged to buy had failed trials. One missed three out of four cases, he said.

But he admitted that even with his new 'five point plan' testing capacity will not hit 100,000 per day until the end of the month - by which point he guaranteed that all frontline NHS staff will have access to checks.

The Health Secretary also made £300million available to fund community pharmacies as 569 people who tested positive for Covid-19 died today

Today 569 people who tested positive for the coronavirus died, bringing the UK total to 2,921

He said the longer-term goal was to have capacity for 250,000 checks every day.

That numbers will include any antibody tests - to show who previously had the virus - if they can be shown to be effective.

'Our ultimate goal is that anyone who needs a test can have one,' he said.

'The new national effort for testing will ensure that we can get tests for everyone who needs them and I am delighted that the pharmaceutical industry is rising to this challenge, putting unprecedented resources into testing.

'We took the right decisions at the rights times on the very best scientific advice.'

'Taken together, I am now setting the goal of 100,000 tests per day by the end of this month. That is the goal and I am determined that we will get there.'

Mr Hancock revealed that 5,000 NHS workers have now been tested, amid fears tens of thousands are off work unnecessarily.

Explaining the sluggishness in hiking test numbers, Mr Hancock said approving faulty tests would put people at risk.

On another tumultuous day of coronavirus developments:

569 deaths have been declared in the UK today, taking the total to 2,921;

Business groups say firms have 'furloughed' half of their staff with concerns the government's bailout will need to be massively bigger than thought;

A MailOnline poll has found more than half the public think Boris Johnson imposed the coronavirus lockdown too late;

Overdraft customers will be able to request zero-interest buffers of up to £500 over three months to help ease the financial impact of coronavirus;

The ONS has revealed costs of cough and cold medication have risen by nearly 11 percent over the last fortnight, amid fears of profiteering;

British Airways will put 36,000 employees - 80 percent of its workforce - on leave after grounding thousands of flights;

A million people have applied for Universal Credit since March 16 and officials are facing calls to allow people to claim it even if they £16,000 in savings;

BMA guidelines have revealed elderly patients should be lower priority than otherwise-healthy younger ones when it comes to rationing ventilators.