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Coronavirus: Questions over how testing pledge will be met Coronavirus: Test goal will take 'huge amount of work', says Hancock
(about 1 hour later)
The government is under pressure to explain how it will meet its target of increasing coronavirus testing ten-fold by the end of April. Health Secretary Matt Hancock says the government has "a huge amount of work to do" to meet its target 100,000 coronavirus tests a day in England.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said he wants 100,000 tests to be carried out every day. Mr Hancock said he was not relying on new antibody blood tests to meet the goal, which was announced after criticism of the UK's testing strategy.
But Labour says there are no details on how this can be achieved or what sort of testing will be involved. "It's got to happen. I've got a plan to get us there, I've set it as a goal and it's what the nation needs," he said.
It comes as a field hospital with capacity for as many as 4,000 patients is to be opened in east London. Labour has called for more details on what kind of tests will be involved.
The Prince of Wales will officially open London's new NHS Nightingale Hospital, which will treat intensive care Covid-19 patients at the ExCeL convention centre, via a video link from his Scottish home. It comes as a field hospital with capacity for as many as 4,000 critically ill patients with coronavirus is to be opened in east London.
The Prince of Wales will officially open London's new NHS Nightingale Hospital at the ExCeL convention centre via a video link from his Scottish home.
Labour's John McDonnell told BBC Breakfast a breakdown of the type of tests that would make up the 100,000 figure was needed and urged Mr Hancock to provide more detail.Labour's John McDonnell told BBC Breakfast a breakdown of the type of tests that would make up the 100,000 figure was needed and urged Mr Hancock to provide more detail.
The health secretary told the BBC the 100,000 tests figure was "a goal… for the whole system" including tests for patients, frontline staff, and those who believed they had had the virus. Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was possible almost all of them would be swab tests used to determine whether a person currently had coronavirus.
But he said: "We've got an awful lot of work to do to make it happen." He said the tests would also include 500 highly-accurate antibody blood tests - to detect whether someone has already had coronavirus - performed each day by Porton Down - the military's science laboratory.
Mr Hancock told BBC Radio 4's Today programme it was possible almost all of the 100,000 figure would be swab tests used to determine whether a person currently had coronavirus. Other types of antibody blood tests for mass screening had so far failed to meet the required accuracy standard and so would not be relied upon to meet the new goal, he added.
But he said it would also include 500 highly-accurate antibody blood tests - to detect whether someone has already had coronavirus - performed each day by Porton Down - the military's science laboratory. "We've got an awful lot of work to do to make it happen," Mr Hancock said.
He said other types of antibody blood tests for mass screening had so far failed to meet the required accuracy standard. The pledge to test 100,000 people a day by the end of the month seems incredible at this point - especially as Health Secretary Matt Hancock has clarified his statements last night to say almost all the tests will be the diagnostic swab tests rather than the antibody test.
For the swab tests, Mr Hancock said existing patients would be first in line, followed by "a whole series of critical workers", including medical staff and their families, social care workers, prison and police officers. After all, it has taken weeks to just get to 10,000 tests being done a day.
Mr Hancock said 35,000 NHS staff were off work due to coronavirus - either because they had symptoms or because they lived with someone who did. Facilities wise, he is planning to use the national Public Health England labs and hospital labs currently being used along with resources at universities, research institutes and private companies.
Speaking about his own experience with coronavirus, he told Today: "It was pretty worrying especially on the way down because you know how serious this infection can be. But this is not really the problem - the hospital labs alone could do 100,000 tests in theory.
The big problem has been the shortage of testing kits and chemicals - he must be confident this supply line will be easing in the coming weeks - as well as the wider introduction of quicker swab testing processes that don't rely on the chemical reagents.
There has been growing pressure from frontline NHS staff for the government to make more swab tests available to medics and their families. so key staff who are healthy but currently in self-isolation can return to work.
Mr Hancock said 35,000 NHS staff were currently off work because they or a member of their household had had coronavirus symptoms.
He confirmed patients with suspected coronavirus would be first in line for swab tests, followed by "a whole series of critical workers", including medical staff and their families, social care workers, prison and police officers.
Speaking about his own experience with coronavirus following his diagnosis last week, he told Today: "It was pretty worrying especially on the way down because you know how serious this infection can be.
"But after two days or so which were pretty unpleasant - like having glass in your throat and a cough - thankfully I turned a corner and I've recovered.""But after two days or so which were pretty unpleasant - like having glass in your throat and a cough - thankfully I turned a corner and I've recovered."
'Five-pillar' plan
Speaking on Thursday at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing, following days of criticism of the government's record on testing, Mr Hancock announced a "five-pillar" plan to reach the 100,000 target.Speaking on Thursday at the Downing Street coronavirus briefing, following days of criticism of the government's record on testing, Mr Hancock announced a "five-pillar" plan to reach the 100,000 target.
This involves increasing the number of swab tests through an expansion of centralised testing facilities and partnerships with commercial entities, while also introducing an antibody blood test and surveillance to determine the rate of infection.
Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Commons home affairs committee, told BBC's Question Time the target was welcome but a "centralised approach" with all tests being carried out by Public Health England would be "just not enough" to meet demand.Labour MP Yvette Cooper, who chairs the Commons home affairs committee, told BBC's Question Time the target was welcome but a "centralised approach" with all tests being carried out by Public Health England would be "just not enough" to meet demand.
David McCoy, professor of global public health at Queen Mary University, said the government's pledge was "a step in the right direction", but cautioned that testing was not a "magic bullet" and called for a less "centralised, top-down uniform" approachDavid McCoy, professor of global public health at Queen Mary University, said the government's pledge was "a step in the right direction", but cautioned that testing was not a "magic bullet" and called for a less "centralised, top-down uniform" approach
Figures released on Thursday showed the number of people with the virus who have died in the UK had risen by 569, taking the total to 2,921 as of 17:00 BST on Wednesday.Figures released on Thursday showed the number of people with the virus who have died in the UK had risen by 569, taking the total to 2,921 as of 17:00 BST on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, there was capacity for 12,799 daily tests in England - although just 10,650 people were tested. The government's target by mid-April had been to test 25,000 per day.On Wednesday, there was capacity for 12,799 daily tests in England - although just 10,650 people were tested. The government's target by mid-April had been to test 25,000 per day.
Latest figures show 163,194 people in the UK have so far been tested for the virus, of which 33,718 were confirmed positive.Latest figures show 163,194 people in the UK have so far been tested for the virus, of which 33,718 were confirmed positive.
Doubt has also been cast on the idea of "immunity certificates" being given to people who have recovered from coronavirus.Doubt has also been cast on the idea of "immunity certificates" being given to people who have recovered from coronavirus.
On Thursday, Mr Hancock, who was making his first public appearance since going into self-isolation after contracting coronavirus, said the government was considering the idea to allow people to "get back, as much as possible, to normal life".On Thursday, Mr Hancock, who was making his first public appearance since going into self-isolation after contracting coronavirus, said the government was considering the idea to allow people to "get back, as much as possible, to normal life".
But Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, said such certificates would give people a "sense of false security" about the disease.But Eleanor Riley, professor of immunology and infectious disease at the University of Edinburgh, said such certificates would give people a "sense of false security" about the disease.
Meanwhile, London's Nightingale Hospital will officially open later - less than two weeks after military personnel, working with NHS managers and clinicians, began transforming the ExCeL conference and exhibition centre into a giant hospital.Meanwhile, London's Nightingale Hospital will officially open later - less than two weeks after military personnel, working with NHS managers and clinicians, began transforming the ExCeL conference and exhibition centre into a giant hospital.
In other developments:In other developments:
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