PCR tests: No appointments available on government website in parts of England
COVID PCR test appointments are not available in a number of areas of England.
On Tuesday morning, the Gov.uk booking site showed no walk-in or drive-through appointments were available in the whole of England.
Availability did bounce back at one point across a number of regions, but that has since reduced, although it is still possible to book a home testing PCR kit.
As of 2pm, there were no available walk-in or drive-through PCR tests in Hertfordshire and Suffolk in the East of England; in London; in Stockton-on-Tees in the North East; in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, the Isle of Wight, Middlesex and Surrey in South East England; and in Bristol, Dorset, Mendip and South Gloucestershire in South West England.
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Downing Street insisted there is significant testing capacity despite suggestions of difficulties finding PCR tests.
The prime minister's official spokesman said: “In terms of PCR availability, I don’t have the latest but I would envisage further booking possibilities will come online later and, of course, there are in-person opportunities as well.”
Prime minister Boris Johnson was desperately working on Tuesday to fight off a Tory rebellion in the House of Commons over his coronavirus Plan B.
MPs are set to vote on COVID passes, compulsory face masks in indoor settings and mandatory vaccinations for frontline NHS and social care staff.
Scores of Conservative MPs are against the proposals and it is possible the Tories will have to rely on Labour support to get the package through parliament despite Johnson's massive majority.
Watch: Dominic Raab urges COVID Plan B backing ahead of Tory revolt
Lateral flow tests are also unavailable to be ordered via the government website, though it is understood that a number were available in the early hours of the morning.
The government has said this is because there are not enough people to deliver the tests due to a surge in demand.
A message on the site on Tuesday morning said there were no tests available for home delivery, although tests can still be collected from pharmacies.
A spokesman for the UKHSA told Yahoo News UK on Tuesday: “There is no shortage of lateral flow tests. More tests should become available for home delivery every few hours.
“We are issuing record numbers of rapid test kits to people’s homes across the country, with 1.6 million tests – 230,000 boxes – distributed just yesterday. We are urgently working to further expand our delivery capacity so more people can order tests.
“Everyone who needs a lateral flow test can also collect them at their local pharmacy, some community sites and some schools and colleges.”
Double jabbed people are now being asked to take a lateral flow test every day for seven days if they come into contact with someone with COVID-19.
Earlier, England’s chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, told the Cabinet to expect a “significant increase in hospitalisations” from Omicron.
The prime minister’s official spokesman said Prof Whitty told ministers the doubling time for the variant remained between two and three days.
Read more: Will there be more COVID restrictions before Christmas?
The spokesman said: “He said it was too early to say whether cases were reducing or plateauing in South Africa but there was no reliable evidence from South African scientists of a peak in case rates.
“He added that it also remained too early to say how severe the Omicron variant was but that we can expect a significant increase in hospitalisations as cases increase.”
On Tuesday, the Evening Standard reported that Omicron had become the dominant strain of coronavirus in London.
London’s public health chief, Professor Kevin Fenton, told the newspaper: “Our latest monitoring of provisional data indicates that over 50 per cent of cases sent for further analysis in London are now Omicron, replacing Delta as the dominant variant.”
Watch: People queue for booster jabs as rollout is ramped up
