Essential workers and their households will be able to book coronavirus tests online from today, the health secretary says.

Speaking at the daily Downing Street briefing, Matt Hancock said the criteria for who can be tested for coronavirus would be expanded to include any essential workers and their families who need a test.

Previously, some key workers with symptoms - such as NHS workers, social care staff, and emergency services - and their families had been allowed to be tested.

Tests for essential workers from Friday

The government classifies key workers as those working in jobs such as teachers, government employees and delivery drivers.

Workers will be able to book an appointment directly on the government website from Friday, while companies can book them for employees from today.


"It's all part of getting Britain back on her feet," Mr Hancock said.

The health secretary said the expansion can happen because testing capacity has increased from 40,000 to 51,000 per day overnight - and means the UK is "ahead of our plans" to reach 100,000 tests per day by the end of April.

Mr Hancock also said plans were being put in place for a new NHS contact-tracing app.

Starmer tackles Raab on coronavirus testing

Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms would be able to inform the NHS through the app, which would then alert other users they had significant contact with.

"We need to be really kick-starting contact tracing," Mr Hancock said.

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt, who has been pressing for much higher rates of testing, praised today's announcement.

"I have been pressing for concrete action on contact tracing but today @MattHancock has delivered," he wrote on Twitter.

"With 18,000 people being recruited - alongside widespread testing - we have a clear exit route from the current lockdown & our approach comes much closer to global best practice."

Mr Hancock cautioned there would be "no automatic link" between the rolling out of a "test, track and trace" system and any changes to social distancing measures.

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But he did say the adoption of this system, if done effectively, could suppress transmission "in a way that allows you then to have lesser rules".

The health secretary also said letters are being sent out encouraging people to take part in a survey which will establish how many people have already had coronavirus.

Initially, 25,000 people will take part, and this will be expanded to 300,000 over the next 12 months.

"These are critical pieces of information to inform our battle against this novel virus," he said.

Meanwhile, chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said the UK is "still at that period coming through the peak", but is "heading very much in the right direction".

Sir Patrick confirmed deaths are "still at a plateau" and "coming down slightly". He expects this to last "for a couple of weeks" before decreasing.