Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what guidance is being provided to Resilience Forums on public communications on what to do in the event that an individual has covid-19 symptoms and laboratories have reached their capacity and Pillar 2 testing in lower risk areas is suspended.

The United Kingdom’s daily COVID-19 testing capacity passed the 500,000 mark on 31 October. As a result of partnerships with National Health Service and university labs, new cutting-edge testing innovations and a recruitment drive boosting the UK’s diagnostic network, NHS Test and Trace has rapidly expanded testing capability ahead of winter to 519,770.

We are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak and prioritising at-risk groups. We continue to review processes and ensure that the right level of resources is available to match demand on the test and trace service.