MATT Hancock has announced a new target of Covid-19 tests of 100,000 per day by the end of April as he pledged a new five-part strategy to increase testing across the country.

Following several days of intense scrutiny over current levels of testing, the UK Health Secretary said it was still hoped 250,000 tests per day could be achieved; a goal originally set by Boris Johnson.

Experts say testing is important to track the virus and give the country hope of exiting the lockdown with those who are confirmed to have already had the virus able to return to work.

Mr Hancock's 100,000-a-day pledge for England includes antigen tests that tell people whether they currently have Covid-19 as well as antibody tests to see whether people have previously had the infection.

The Government is currently working with nine potential providers who are battling to produce an antibody test and is also looking at whether people could be issued with immunity certificates to prove they are able to resume their usual activities.

Mr Hancock said he would only approve those tests that worked, adding: "Approving tests that don't work is dangerous and I will not do it."

The Secretary of State, who has recovered from Covid-19 and came out of self-isolation on Thursday, said he came back "redoubled in my determination to fight this virus with everything I've got."

As he paid an emotional tribute to those who have died, including doctors, nurses and mental health professionals, he said the Government would "strain every sinew to defeat" coronavirus once and for all.

"If the past few weeks have shown us anything, it's that we are steadfast as a country in our resolve to defeat this invisible killer" he continued.

Mr Hancock explained the UK lacked a large diagnostics industry so was having to build from a "lower base" than the likes of Germany, which is testing around 70,000 people per day.

He said a country-wide shortage of swabs had been "resolved" but that there remained a "global challenge" around sourcing the reagent chemicals needed for the tests.

Mr Hancock said NHS staff would be able to get tested for Covid-19 "absolutely before the end of the month".

Currently, around 10,000 tests per day are being carried out in the UK.

The Health Secretary said his five part strategy was:

*swab testing in Public Health England and NHS labs;

*using commercial partners, including universities and private businesses, to establish more swab testing;

*introducing antibody blood tests to determine whether people have had Covid-19;

*surveillance to determine the rate of infection and how it is spreading across the country and

*building an "at-scale" diagnostics industry to reach 100,000 tests by the end of April.

Labour’s Jon Ashworth welcomed the 100,000 tests a day announcement but noted how NHS staff would recall that only a few weeks ago the Prime Minister was promising 250,000 a day.

“We look forward to seeing the details of how this commitment will be delivered, especially for NHS and care staff for whom this is now a pressing and urgent priority.

"It has taken us weeks to get to 10,000 tests today, and we still have no details of what proportion of this 100,000 will be PCR tests or antibody tests,” he added.

At the press conference, Mr Hancock defended his decision to prioritise testing of patients over NHS staff and said he thought any Health Secretary would have done the same.

He explained: “I understand why NHS staff want tests, so they can get back to the front line, of course I do.

“But I took the decision that the first priority has to be the patients for whom the results of a test could be the difference in treatment that is the difference between life and death.

“I believe anybody in my shoes would have taken the same decision.”

The Secretary of State also announced that more than £13 billion of historic NHS debt would be written off to place trusts in a “stronger position” to respond to the coronavirus crisis.

Figures showed that 5.7% of doctors were currently absent due to Covid-19, he added.

Earlier in the week, the Royal College of Physicians said around one in four were off work either sick or in a household with somebody who was ill.

It comes as Downing Street said on Thursday that the Prime Minister was still showing coronavirus symptoms.

The PM’s seven days of self-isolation end on Friday but it is unclear whether he plans to leave the Downing Street flat where he has been staying.

Latest data shows 2,921 people were confirmed to have died in hospital after testing positive for coronavirus in the UK as of 5pm on Wednesday.

The youngest person who died without underlying health conditions was aged 25.

The total is up by 569 from 2,352 the day before and is the biggest day-on-day increase so far, just above the 563 reported the day before.

Meanwhile, 78-year-old comedian Eddie Large, best known for being half of British comedy duo Little And Large, has died after contracting coronavirus in hospital.