The UK has commenced tests for essential workers and their family members.

The move allows all essential workers in England to register for tests on the government’s website, if they or a family member have virus symptoms.

Up to 10 million key workers and their households are eligible to book a test.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said the expanded testing programme was “part of getting Britain back on her feet”.

However, the online website for key workers to book coronavirus tests has temporarily closed following “significant demand”, the Department of Health said.

It said it was continuing to “rapidly increase” availability and more tests would be available on Saturday.

The website opened on Friday but appeared to close by mid-morning with some users met by an “applications closed” message.

The Department of Health apologised for “any inconvenience” caused by the temporary closure of applications.

The government remains some way short of its target of 100,000 tests a day in the UK by the end of this month.

Thursday’s figures showed 23,560 tests were carried out, though Mr Hancock said capacity had now increased to 51,000 per day.

The data also showed a further 616 people died with the virus in UK hospitals, bringing the total number of deaths to 18,738.

Mobile testing units

The health secretary announced the new testing arrangements at Thursday’s Downing Street coronavirus briefing, along with a commitment to recruit 18,000 people to trace contacts of those infected.

Those who can now register for a test include NHS and social care workers, police officers, teachers, those in the justice system, supermarket and food production workers, journalists and transport workers.

Previously, a smaller group of key workers – those whose work is deemed critical to the Covid-19 response – were eligible for testing.

The aim is to allow essential staff to safely return to work.

John Apter, chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, described the announcement as “long overdue and very welcome”.

He added that testing would enable self-isolating officers “to get back onto the front line to assist their colleagues if the test comes back as negative”.

Also among those to qualify for tests are staff at supermarkets, where absences due to coronavirus have been a big issue. Tesco, for example, currently has more than 41,000 staff members off work.

The British Retail Consortium said the testing of such workers was “crucial” to “maintain good supplies to stores”.

Transport for London (TfL) – where a third of employees have been ill or have had to self-isolate since the start of the pandemic – said that while testing would not be mandatory, it was “encouraging the take-up of testing by all eligible members of staff”.