Everyone over the age of 5 in the UK now eligible for Covid-19 test
The announcement from the Health Secretary applies to all four nations in the UK
Everyone aged five and over is now eligible to be tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms, which have been expanded to included a loss of taste or smell.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock drastically increased the number of people who can get tested for Covid-19 across the UK on Monday, with the Government trying to track the spread of the disease in order to ease the lockdown.
His announcement in the House of Commons came after the UK's chief medical officers added the loss of, or noticeable change to, taste and smell to the NHS's list of coronavirus symptoms, weeks after experts first raised concerns that cases were being missed.
Until now the NHS 111 coronavirus symptom checker has only listed high temperature and cough as the symptoms that require further action.
England's deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, told reporters adding loss of smell and taste to the list would mean 94% of cases where people have symptoms are now picked up, a rise from 91% previously.
It comes after a study led by Professor Tim Spector at King's College London found that 59% of Covid-19-positive patients reported loss of smell and taste, compared with only 18% of those who tested negative for the disease.
Anyone suffering the newly-added symptoms, or a continuous cough or high fever, should self-isolate for seven days to risk the spread of infection, and anyone they live with should stay home for 14 days.
Previously only essential workers, the over-65s and individuals who live with them could apply for coronavirus testing on the NHS website if they were showing symptoms.
Mr Hancock said he was “expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before” as ministers try to hit the new goal of having the ability to carry out 200,000 tests per day by the end of the month.
“I can announce to the House that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test,” he told MPs. “That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now.”
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