A senior Tory minister has admitted that the government may miss its own target of 100,000 daily tests for Covid by the end of April. Robert Buckland, the justice secretary, said the government “probably won’t” hit the ambitious goal set by Matt Hancock in time.
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Covid: Minister admits government may miss its own target of 100,000 daily tests
Mr. Hancock announced the target as the government came under sustained pressure over lack of testing for NHS staff and other key workers, many of whom were concerned about self-isolating needlessly or passing on the virus unknowingly. Testing capacity has been rapidly scaled up, with eligibility expanded in recent days to include people over 65 who are showing Covid-19 symptoms and asymptomatic residents and staff in care homes.
However, Mr. Buckland admitted that only 52,000 people had been tested yesterday. It comes as the body which represents hospital trusts said the fixation on 100,000 daily tests figure was a “red herring”, which was distracting from the overall strategy. NHS Providers warned that the English health and care system “started from a poor position” and consistently “struggled” to demonstrate a “clear, effective and well-communicated strategy”, with a lack of clarity on who would be tested, when, how, and with what frequency. The report said members felt “on the end of a series of frequent tactical announcements”, with “no visibility on any long-term strategy”.
It said: “They are being expected, at the drop of a hat, to accommodate these changes with no advance notice or planning, despite the fact that many of the changes have a significant operational impact. The recent public focus on whether 100,000 tests will be performed on April 30 is a red herring.” However Downing Street has played down any hopes of easing restrictions this week, pointing to the three weekly review deadline on 7 May as a more likely time for clarity.