28 March 2020

Coronavirus testing for frontline NHS staff to be rolled out over the weekend

Coronavirus testing will be issued to frontline NHS staff in England this weekend as they battle to combat the spread of the pandemic.

Those with symptoms, or living with people who have been showing symptoms will be tested, with critical care doctors and nurses being checked first.

The move follows criticism of the Government for their lack of testing on health workers.

Boots pharmacies will be at the heart of the testing and by the end of the weekend, 800 tests are expected to have been conducted and sent to testing centres around London.

Sebastian James, Managing Director, Boots UK and ROI said: "I am extremely proud that Boots is supporting COVID-19 testing for NHS workers. 

"We will work with the NHS to recruit trained professionals – both Boots colleagues and from the wider community," he finished.

At Friday's Downing Street news conference, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove revealed that hundreds of frontline NHS staff would receive antigen tests this weekend and that testing would be scaled up 'dramatically' next week.

Testing will continue next week with ambulance crews, paramedics and GPs and will then be expanded to social care staff.

Currently, approximately 6,000 people are tested daily across the country but the Government is hoping to raise this to 10,000 by the end of March and 25,000 in mid-April.

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