Government must increase testing capacity to maintain credibility

Responding to reports that everyone over age of five in the UK with symptoms can now be tested for coronavirus, Liberal Democrat Health Spokesperson Munira Wilson said:

“The coronavirus crisis is leaving the most vulnerable at risk. Thousands of families will face financial hardship and people are rightly worried about their loved ones.

"The move towards testing everyone over the age of five with symptoms is welcome. However, Ministers must explain why the level of testing is still so low compared to some countries, what is being done to increase capacity, particularly in care homes, and to speed up processing of results.

“We must ensure no one is left behind as we tackle this cruel virus. We cannot afford to see Ministers throw away valuable time, as we have seen with the delayed test and trace app despite effective models that could be used.

“The Government must urgently implement a comprehensive test, trace and isolate system to keep people safe and ease the lockdown.”