Material from a self-test COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from a drive through test site, including grey plastic bag, COVID-19 self-test step-by-step guide, test receipt card with barcode sticker and spare barcode sticker, 2020-2021

In Spring 2020, increasing the UK’s testing capabilities was a priority for the government. They had stopped community testing for COVID-19 on 12 March 2020 to focus on testing people in hospital because of a lack of capacity. The then Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, pledged in April 2020 that UK would be carrying out 100,000 tests a day by the end of the month.

From then on, testing was gradually made more widely available. First for key workers and their families and then people in specific categories identified by the government, like the over 65s with COVID-19 symptoms. However, on 18 May 2020, the government announced that testing was now available for anyone over the age of 5 with symptoms. This PCR test was done at one of the many drive-through test centres that were set up.