A senior Tory minister has admitted that the government is likely to miss its own target for 100,000 daily tests for coronavirus by the end of April.
Robert Buckland, the justice secretary, said the government “probably won’t” hit the ambitious goal set by Matt Hancock in time, as ministers scramble to manage expectations.
But Downing Street insisted that Boris Johnson has not given up hope of meeting the deadline, telling reporters: “The target is for 100,000 tests and we are working hard to hit that.”
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Mr Hancock announced the target as the government came under sustained pressure over lack of testing for NHS staff and other key workers, many of whom were concerned about self isolating needlessly or passing on the virus unknowingly.
Testing capacity has been rapidly scaled up, with eligibility expanded in recent days to include people over 65 who are showing Covid-19 symptoms and asymptomatic residents and staff in care homes.
But Mr Buckland admitted that only 52,000 people had been tested yesterday – just over half the target – and the looming deadline was likely to be missed.
He told Sky News: “We’ll have the results I think tomorrow. Even if we don’t hit it, and it’s probable that we won’t, we will in the next few days hit that target.
“We’re up to 52,000 people being tested, the capacity is rising, I think it was right to set an ambitious target.
“And you know, sometimes even if you don’t hit the target on the due date the direction of travel is the most important thing.
“I believe we’re going to get there and then move beyond it, because we need more.”
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Mr Buckland said he was “frustrated” not to meet the target but he praised efforts to ramp up testing, adding: “I think we will get to that 100,000 in a few days”.
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said Mr Buckland was wrong to write off the government’s chances of success, but said he “absolutely” had confidence in the justice secretary’s grip of the situation.
“In terms of capacity, as of 28 April we got that up to 77,365. The target is 100,000 today and the health secretary and all his team are working hard to hit it,” said the spokesman.
Daily testing numbers in hospitals and Public Health England labs are now being outstripped by the 42 commercially-operated drive-through sites around the country, some 17 mobile units are now conducting tests at care homes and other locations, and home-testing kits are being snapped up as fast as they are made available, at a rate of around 15,000 a day, the spokesman said.
He added: “We have announced a farily significant extension to eligibility – around 15 milllion people – and you’d expect it to take a little time for that to be reflected in the figures.
The deadline comes as the body which represents hospital trusts said the fixation on 100,000 daily tests figure was a “red herring”, which was distracting from the overall strategy.
NHS Providers warned that the English health and care system “started from a poor position” and consistently “struggled” to demonstrate a “clear, effective and well communicated strategy”, with a lack of clarity on who would be tested, when, how, and with what frequency.
The report said members felt “on the end of a series of frequent tactical announcements”, with “no visibility on any long-term strategy”.
It said: “They are being expected, at the drop of a hat, to accommodate these changes with no advance notice or planning, despite the fact that many of the changes have significant operational impact.”
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Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
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Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence
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NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
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Shoppers observe a minute’s silence in Tescos in Shoreham
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Firefighters outside Godstone fire station
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6/30 Salford Royal Hospital
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7/30 Salford Royal Hospital
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Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute’s silence at University College Hospital in London
AP
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A school children’s poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute’s silence
Getty
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A man holds a placard that reads “People’s health before profit” outside St Thomas hospital
Getty
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Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence
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Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
13/30 University College Hospital, London
Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE
AP
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Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute’s silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus
AP
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Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow
Getty
16/30 London
An NHS worker observes a minute’s silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Reuters
17/30 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London
AFP via Getty
18/30 Belfast, Northern Ireland
NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital
Reuters
19/30 Plymouth
NHS workers hold a minute’s silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital
Getty
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NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute’s silence
Getty
21/30 Mater Infirmorum Hospital
People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers
Reuters
22/30 Waterloo Station, London
AP
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Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall
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A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
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Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence
PA
27/30 London
Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy’s Hospital
Reuters
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A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
29/30 Royal Derby Hospital
PA
30/30 Leicester,
NHS workers during a minute’s silence outside Glenfield Hospital
Getty
1/30
Staff react outside Salford Royal Hospital in Manchester during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
2/30
Staff inside Camberwell bus depot in London, during a minute’s silence
PA
3/30
NHS staff at the Mater hospital in Belfast, during a minute’s silence to pay tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak.
PA
4/30
Shoppers observe a minute’s silence in Tescos in Shoreham
Getty
5/30
Firefighters outside Godstone fire station
PA
6/30 Salford Royal Hospital
Getty
7/30 Salford Royal Hospital
PA
8/30
Hospital workers take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE across Britain for all workers in care, the NHS and other vital public services after a nationwide minute’s silence at University College Hospital in London
AP
9/30
A school children’s poster hanging outside Glenfield Hospital during a minute’s silence
Getty
10/30
A man holds a placard that reads “People’s health before profit” outside St Thomas hospital
Getty
11/30
Staff members applaud outside the Royal Derby Hospital, following a minute’s silence
PA
12/30
Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill, Prime minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak, stand inside 10 Downing Street, London, to observe a minutes silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
13/30 University College Hospital, London
Hospital workers hold placards with the names of their colleagues who have died from coronavirus as they take part in a protest calling on the British government to provide PPE
AP
14/30
Staff at Waterloo Station in London, stand to observe a minute’s silence, to pay tribute to NHS and key workers who have died with coronavirus
AP
15/30
Medical staff at the Louisa Jordan hospital stand during a UK wide minutes silence to commemorate the key workers who have died with coronavirus in Glasgow
Getty
16/30 London
An NHS worker observes a minute’s silence at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
Reuters
17/30 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London
AFP via Getty
18/30 Belfast, Northern Ireland
NHS staff observe a minutes silence at Mater Infirmorum Hospital
Reuters
19/30 Plymouth
NHS workers hold a minute’s silence outside the main entrance of Derriford Hospital
Getty
20/30
NHS Frimley Park Hospital staff at the A&E department observe a minute’s silence
Getty
21/30 Mater Infirmorum Hospital
People applaud after a minutes silence in honour of key workers
Reuters
22/30 Waterloo Station, London
AP
23/30
Wreaths laid outside Sheffield town hall
PA
24/30
A group of trade unionists and supporters standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
25/30
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon stands outside St Andrew’s House in Edinburgh to observe a minute’s silence in tribute to the NHS staff and key workers who have died during the coronavirus outbreak
PA
26/30
Staff stand outside the Royal Derby Hospital, during a minutes silence
PA
27/30 London
Police officers observe a minutes silence at Guy’s Hospital
Reuters
28/30
A woman standing outside Sheffield town hall
PA
29/30 Royal Derby Hospital
PA
30/30 Leicester,
NHS workers during a minute’s silence outside Glenfield Hospital
Getty
The report added: “The recent public focus on whether 100,000 tests will be performed on April 30 is a red herring.”
Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is expected to appear at his first daily Downing Street press conference since recovering from coronavirus amid mounting pressure on ministers to reveal the path out of the lockdown.
However Downing Street has played down any hopes of easing restrictions this week, pointing to the three weekly review deadline on 7 May as a more likely time for clarity.
