Anxious Britons concerned they have caught Covid-19 are reporting difficulty ordering home tests to check for the coronavirus, as cases continue to rise in the UK.
Some who tried to obtain them online were greeted by a message saying the service was unavailable.
“Please try again in a few hours when more tests should be available,” they were told on the government’s official page for ordering a kit.
It is understood that the government has not run out of tests, but that it sometimes suspends the booking portal when demand is high.
A representative for the Department of Health and Social Care said hundreds of thousands of people were being tested every day.
“There is a high demand for tests and to help stop the spread of the virus we are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, as well as prioritising at-risk groups.
“We have the capacity to test for coronavirus at an unprecedented scale. We are expanding capacity to 500,000 tests a day by the end of October, increasing the number of testing sites and bringing in new technology to process results faster.”
Helen Hayes, a Labour Party MP for Dulwich and West Norwood in south London, said she was aware of the situation and criticised the Conservative government’s Covid-19 test and tracing system.
“Many reports from constituents of difficulty accessing test appointments & home testing kits,” Ms Hayes wrote on Twitter.
“If this is your experience please email me so I can build up a picture of [the] extent of issues locally. As schools & universities return & Covid cases increase, test & trace is a shambles,” she said.
The UK reported 2,988 new Covid-19 cases on Sunday, the highest daily total since May, despite numbers typically dipping at weekends when reporting is more limited. The daily average last week was about 1,600.
Health Minister Matt Hancock attributed the rise to young people, rejecting claims that the government had lost control when questioned by LBC Radio.
“No, but the whole country needs to follow the social distancing because we can only do this as a whole society,” Mr Hancock said.
Labour’s health spokesman Jon Ashworth said the situation was extremely concerning.
“But what’s really worrying me is that we’re seeing infection rates rising while at the same time there’s all these problems that people are experiencing trying to get a test,” Mr Ashworth told the BBC.
Continental Europe has also had a renewed surge in cases.
France reported 7,071 new infections on Sunday, 8,550 on Saturday and 8,975 on Friday, and the French health ministry said cases were particularly prevalent in young people.
-
Roman Catholic nuns of the Missionaries of Charity order distribute free food after prayers at the tomb of Mother Teresa to commemorate the 23rd death anniversary of Mother Teresa at the Missionaries of Charity house in Kolkata. AFP -
Police tackle protesters in Melbourne during an anti-lockdown rally protesting the state of Victoria's strict lockdown rules, Australia. AFP -
Protestors gather near the Scottish Parliament to demonstrate against a secondary lockdown. Getty Images -
An Indian Health worker takes swab samples of people suspected for the coronavirus in Guwahati, Assam. India is listed as a country with the most positive coronavirus cases worldwide. EPA -
A member of the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited ground staff cleans at the city metro station in Bangalore, India. EPA -
Muslim devotees offer prayers while maintaining social distancing as the historic Makkah Masjid reopens after a lockdown imposed as a preventive measure against the spread of the coronavirus, in the old city of Hyderabad. AFP -
People wearing face masks walk past a boutique shop in Wuhan, in China's central Hubei province. AFP -
A woman dances during a pilot plan to reopen nightclubs in Cali, Colombia. AFP -
Statue Fest 2020 participants perform to raise awareness for people to respect the social distancing recommendation due to the coronavirus pandemic at the main square of Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia. EPA -
A person poses for a portrait before participating in a "pop-up" roller skating session hosted by the Butter Roll skating club in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. AFP
In Italy, former prime minister Silvio Berlusconi remains in hospital with Covid-19 but doctors said they remained cautiously optimistic about the 83-year-old’s progress.
Spain, which has been hit particularly hard by the spike in cases across Europe, is reopening schools, which Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez insists is safe.
