Firstly, I would like to wish everyone a very happy St George's Day!
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has just been updating the nation on the Government's latest response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
We must maintain our resolve and follow our social distancing rules. To lift the lockdown measures too soon and risk a second peak of the virus would be terrible for our country's public health and for our economy.
Turning to testing, we set the goal of reaching the level of 100,000 tests per day at the start of the month.
We now have the capacity to test 51,000 people per day. We want to expand this capacity even more to ensure anyone who can benefit from a test will be able to get one.
From tomorrow it will be easier, faster and simpler for key workers to get access to a Coronavirus test. They will be able to book an appointment directly online. It should be as easy as possible for those who need tests to get one.
The Health Secretary also confirmed he is encouraging the role-out of home test kits. All of this will be vital as scientists attempt to track the movement of the virus.
Certain members of our community will be sent government surveys to fill-out soon so further tracking of the virus can be processed.
Contact tracing will also become a key aspect of our fight against Coronavirus. Soon members of the public will be able to tell the NHS (via an app) whether they have Coronavirus symptom.
Test, track and trace will be a vital to our overall strategy from here in order to keep slowing the spread of the virus and flattening the curve.
Having said this, we all still need to be following the rules on social distancing.
We're travelled together too far to go back now. Let's keep it up and ensure we stay at home in order to stay safe.
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