Millions of essential workers and their families will be able to be tested for coronavirus from tomorrow

Seven million essential workers and their families will be able to get coronavirus tests from tomorrow.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock today announced that swab testing will be expanded.

More testing will be carried out to determine the true picture of the UK’s outbreak, as well as tracing contacts of infected patients to combat surges.

Key workers whose children are still at school will be able to order tests online or through their employers.

There are 7.1 million essential workers iin Britain, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and almost half have at least one child under the age of 16.

Mr Hancock said in this afternoon’s briefing “I want to make it as easy as possible for people to get a test” and said there are 31 places around the UK that can do them. People will be able to book the swabs online and will receive results by text.

Previously, tests were limited to hospital patients and frontline medical workers.

Government officials assure the country is on track to meet its goal of 100,000 tests per day by Thursday.

But figures show 23,560 tests have been carried out in the past 24 hours while there is a capacity for more than 50,000.