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Questions have been raised over how coronavirus tests were counted after Health Secretary Matt Hancock hailed the “incredible achievement” of the Government in hitting its 100,000-a-day target.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press briefing, Mr Hancock said 122,347 tests were performed in the 24 hours up to 9am on Friday, adding that testing would help “unlock” the UK’s lockdown.
But changes to how tests were counted in the last few days meant newer home test kits have been counted as they are dispatched.
The overall total also includes tests dispatched to “satellite testing locations” – such as hospitals that have a particularly urgent need – but does not detail whether the tests have actually been used.
Guidance on the Government website appears to have changed on April 28 to include wording saying home tests and satellite tests were being included.
When he set the target, Mr Hancock said the UK “will carry out” 100,000 tests every day by the end of April.
The Government’s national testing co-ordinator, Professor John Newton, told reporters there had been “no change” to the methodology but said advice had been sought on counting as “new ways of delivering tests” were brought in.
He said: “There has been no change to the way that tests are counted. As we’ve developed new ways of delivering tests we’ve taken advice from officials as to how this should be counted.
“So, the tests that are within the control of the programme, which is the great majority, are counted when the tests are undertaken in our laboratories.
“But any test which goes outside the control of the programme, they’re counted when they leave the programme, so that is the tests that are mailed out to people at home and the tests which go out in the satellite.
“So that is the way they are counted, have always been counted, and the way we were advised to count them by officials.”
He said some 27,497 kits sent out to homes were included in the total alongside 12,872 tests delivered to satellite locations.
Also at Friday’s briefing:
- Mr Hancock announced 27,510 people have now died in hospitals, care homes and the wider community after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Thursday, up by 739 on the day before.
- The Health Secretary said 18,000 contact tracers to track those who have come into contact with an infected person will be in place by mid-May and the numbers will be expanded if necessary.
- He also vowed the Government would only allow pupils to return when it was safe to do so. “We are not going to re-open schools if it isn’t safe,” he said.
- NHS medical director Professor Stephen Powis said officials will be studying whether stricter measures will or will not have to continue to apply to the elderly when the lockdown is eased.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “Labour has repeatedly called for more testing, and increasing testing is an important milestone.
“But many would have expected the 100,000 promise to have been met by actually carrying out testing, not simply because 39,000 kits had been mailed out.
“The headline figure shouldn’t count tests that hadn’t been used, or indeed, might never be used as a completed test.
“Ministers promised transparency – the public and NHS staff deserve clarity.”
One minute silence to NHS heroes who lost lives to the Coronavirus
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
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A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
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Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
1/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
2/19
Staff stand outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
3/19
Shoppers queue in the rain outside Costco in Thurrock during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
4/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
5/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
6/19
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
7/19
A staff member reacts outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
8/19
Members of the public, NHS staff, and Police offices, some wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) of a face mask as a precautionary measure against COVID-19, pause for a minute’s silence to honour UK key workers
AFP via Getty Images
9/19
A police officer observes a minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19 outside 10 Downing Street,
Reuters
10/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
11/19
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
12/19
A minute silence in honour of key workers who have lost their lives due to COVID-19
Sky News
13/19
London Ambulance Staff observe the minute silence today at their HQ in Waterloo Road
Jeremy Selwyn
14/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
15/19
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
16/19
Staff stand inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
17/19
National Shop Stewards Network protesters outside St Thomas’ Hospital in London, during a minute’s silence which was to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
18/19
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
19/19
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
Liberal Democrat acting co-leader Sir Ed Davey said: “The Health Secretary’s arbitrary target of 100,000 tests by the end of April was always a hostage to fortune, and the truth is, he missed it.
“It’s extremely disappointing the Government have decided to massage the metrics rather than admit they fell short, as this will only undermine public confidence.”
Mr Hancock said the next phase of dealing with Covid-19 – which will include more community testing and contact tracing – will allow the Government “to reassert, as much as is safely possible, the liberty of us all”.
He told reporters: “In recent weeks we’ve had to impinge on historic liberties to protect our NHS and our loved ones and yet our goal must be freedom.
“Freedom from the virus, yes, and we will not lift measures until it is safe to do so.
“But also we care about the restoration of social freedom and economic freedom too – each citizen’s right to do as they please.”
But he said that, for now, people must stay at home while the number of cases of coronavirus is driven down further.
