PCR testing was not possible for the third day due to a serious shortage of PCR.
Boris Johnson earlier urged people to get tested before celebrating with friends and family after confirming on Monday that no new Covid restrictions would be brought in for New Year’s Eve festivities.
However, rapid swab kits weren’t available online. Pharmacies also warned that they were out of stock. Appointments for drive-through and walk-in Covid tests were unavailable for hours on Wednesday – even for doctors, nurses and carers.
The UK has reported 338,037 viral cases. There are fears that the shortage could prevent staff from taking self-isolation or returning to work tests. According to NHS leaders, staff shortages can be made worse.
People will not be able to test for the virus, making it more difficult for them to determine if they are infected before calling their loved ones 2022.
However, the Prime Minister encouraged New Year celebrations to go on regardless by stating that a positive Covid result doesn’t mean you have to be vigilant.
A No10 source told The Times that people could still celebrate if they were unable to get a test, but should just exercise caution.
Sir Roger Gale, Tory MP and Tory MP for the Tory Party said that Sajid javid acknowledged there is no quick solution to supply issues due to a “global shortage”.
According to The Telegraph, a government official warned Britons that they will not be able to obtain PCR tests anywhere near’ within 48 hours after ordering them.
MPs demanded that ministers get on board and Friday’s announcement by the government about almost eight million Covid kit availability to pharmacists was made.
The order for lateral flow testing has been tripled to 300 million next month.
Other coronavirus developments
- The Prime Minister was pressured to take America’s lead in reducing the quarantine time at home to just five days.
- According to estimates, there are 875,000 isolating people.
- Doctors claim that up to 90% patients treated in intensive care units are not receiving a booster shot.
- One in three Covid patients were hospitalized for an unrelated condition.
- The review of next week could eliminate the need for pre-return viral tests to be performed on travellers.
- Pubs, bars and restaurants reported losing more than £10,000 each on average in the week leading up to Christmas.
A face-covering woman passes a shop window in north London. It is empty of NHS Lateral Flow Test kit kits on the 21st of December.
Boris Johnson, the Prime Minister (pictured at Milton Keynes’ vaccination centre on Wednesday), encouraged New Year revellers not to be discouraged by the lack of vaccines.
The government had insisted on adequate lateral flow testing, which allows those who don’t have symptoms to determine if they are suffering from coronavirus.
The December order was increased from 120million to 300million. They blamed delivery problems for supply issues.
Yesterday, however, Sajid Javid told a Tory MP that Britain is having difficulty obtaining enough testing.
Following his conversation with the Health Secretary’s secretary, Sir Roger revealed that Saj had been very transparent about this matter. He stated that there was no magical wand. This is not a quick fix.
“Originally, it was a problem with delivery. Now it is a problem both with supply and delivery. It was an honest and straightforward conversation. He claimed that the global shortage of lateral flows tests is very real.
North Thanet MP said that the British manufacturer of them had quadrupled its production and was now producing 20 million per week as opposed to five million. The Brits will buy all of these, and any other items, while we compete with everyone else in a global market.
Sir Roger warned that shortages could hurt the hospitality sector if people are unable to obtain the reassurance they need in order to enjoy New Years Eve without risk.
According to Mr Javid, the MP was also informed by him that the lab’s capacity meant there were not enough PCR tests.
Yesterday’s Government Website showed that there was no home delivery for lateral flows. Officials however insisted that they are adding them every hour.
Boots in Kings Cross displayed a sign that indicated its Covid testing were out of stock.
Boots informs their customers via a sign in the pharmacy that there are no lateral flow tests available in stock Wednesday in London
Although he acknowledged an increase in cases and hospitalizations, the Prime Minister said that Omicron was “obviously milder” than the Delta strain. The Prime Minister reiterated his appeal to people not to celebrate New Year’s Eve without taking an Omicron test.
His colleagues were unable to respond to questions regarding supply.
Chloe Smith (work and Pensions Minister) said it was a good thing that so many people wanted to test before New Year’s Eve.
She was asked by Radio 4’s World At One if people who can’t pass the test shouldn’t be allowed to go.
Yesterday’s Government Website showed that there weren’t any home delivery slots for lateral flow testing. Officials however insisted that they are adding more every hour.
Yesterday morning, there was no availability at the PCR testing site and kits for home delivery were not available on the government’s website.
On Wednesday, a Boots London pharmacy saw a sign that indicated an out of stock lateral flow testing.
Gillian Keegan, Minister of Care for New Year Celebrations said Tuesday that she had spoken to radio broadcasters regarding the celebrations.
The website displayed ‘no test available’ in every area of England yesterday morning for those with symptoms who were looking for PCR testing. This was changed later and now includes all areas.
Some homes in Essex received notices that the nearest testing facility was not available at their location.
NHS advises people to test for Covid-19 once a week with lateral flow tests.
Leyla Hanbeck of the Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies stated that many patients are unable to locate tests at chemists as a result of inconsistent and patchy supplies.
She told the BBC’s Radio 4 Today programme: ‘Pharmacies are reporting that every five minutes people are coming in and asking for tests.
Unfortunately, the problems with supply are inconsistent and uneven, so people coming to tests may not get the results. This is stressful both for patients as well the pharmacy staff.
“The problem has a huge scale because of high demand. People are trying to do the right thing and want to get tested.
‘[900,000 kits a day]It’s not enough to satisfy the demand.
“Some days, you receive one box and other days you don’t so that pharmacies can give patients what they need.
“This situation has been ongoing for several weeks and the Government is being asked to immediately address supply concerns to meet high demand, as well as the burdensome bureaucratic processes that are involved in supplying this supply.
Website of the Government encourages users to visit pharmacies and get tested, but only orders online should they be unable.
Gillian Keegan, Minister of Care, spoke out to journalists about the New Year festivities on Tuesday. She said that since the introduction of this new version among us, we have said “act cautiously”.
It is extremely contagious, and most people know of people who have contracted it over Christmas.
Be careful, do a Lateral Flow Test before going out. You should be in well-ventilated places – There have been outdoor parties where people have taken things out.
“Be cautious but enjoy your life, but be mindful of what you are doing.
It is the seventh consecutive time that lateral flow test results have not been available for delivery by the government. Encourages customers to get tests at their nearest pharmacies.
Chris Hopson, representing hospital trusts and NHS Providers said that trust leaders have reported delays in receiving PCR results, as well as problems accessing lateral flow testing.
“Given current NHS pressures due to staff absenteeism, it is vital that NHS staff have prompt access to all the necessary tests to enable them to return to work as soon as possible.”
According to the UK Health Security Agency, ‘We’re delivering unprecedented numbers of lateral flow test to pharmacies in the country. We’ve made almost 8 million kits available for pharmacies from today through New Year’s Eve.
We have added 100,000 PCR slots per day to our bookings since December, and are expanding capacity at a rapid pace. You can continue checking your email every hour if the test is not available on gov.uk.
A public health specialist advised that people use tests “responsibly” in light of the current shortage.
Azeem Majeed is the head of primary health care at Imperial College London. He said, via Twitter: “I’m hearing people doing multiple lateral flows tests in one day.”
“The test are not in sufficient supply in many areas of England. This practice will only exacerbate the supply problem, even for important workers like NHS staff. The tests should be used responsibly.