UK government says nation is seeing the lowest rates of new infections since late March
Health secretary Matt Hancock has called on everybody to make sure they get tested if they start experiencing Covid-19 symptoms as the UK’s testing capacity is currently outnumbering demand.
The latest figures revealed the lowest number of new cases since March 25 after 128,437 tests in the UK, according to Mr Hancock.
With all the governments of the UK running test and trace programmes in a bid to move out of lockdown, Mr Hancock said that supply is currently outrstripping demand when it comes to tests done compared to those available.
At the moment, he said there is a capacity of more than 206,000 tests meaning that 78,000 more people a day could get tested if they chose.
He said: “If there is one message that we have today it is that it is incredibly important for anybody who has symptoms of coronavirus – a cough or a fever or a change in your sense of taste or smell – that you get a test.
“That is because it is by people coming forward to get the test – which you can get on nhs.uk/coronavirus or by dialling 119 – that we’re able to identify those who have got the virus, ensuring that you get the best possible treatment and ensuring that we can then trace the virus and through that we can control the virus.
“On testing capacity and new cases, there were 120,437 tests in the UK meaning that there's been a total of 4.48 million tests that have been carried out since the start of this crisis.
“Testing capacity stands at a higher level, testing capacity stands out 206,444 and this shows that there is a capacity for more tests and tests are available right now.
“And I wanted to highlight that because it's so important that people come forward for a test and anyone who needs a test can get a test.
“The next chart shows that there are 1570 cases confirmed as of yesterday (Sunday) and this is the lowest number since March 25. In total 276,000 cases have been confirmed in total.
“But this number of 1570 shows that we've seen continued downward progress in the number of new confirmed cases.
"We are getting this virus under control and this is why we can make the cautious small positive steps that we've been able to take.
“The number of (new) admissions for Covid-19 to hospital are at 479 – that's down from a peak of 3121 on April 2 and the proportion of people on mechanical ventilators with Covid-19 is nine per cent, that is a figure of 606 people.
“Again, that is the lowest since late March. The picture is repeated across the country where we've seen in almost every case the number of people in hospital with Covid-19 is the lowest since late March.
"Sadly 39,045 people have died with coronavirus confirmed with a positive test, that's another 111 deaths since yesterday (Sunday) – again that figure is the lowest figure since lockdown began.”
