• New government drive to increase workplace testing in sectors open during lockdown, to detect coronavirus (COVID-19) in people who are not showing symptoms.
• Government departments tasked with ensuring targeted, rapid testing is set up in all key workplaces to ensure vital public and economic services can continue
• Criteria for joining the workplace testing programme is reduced to businesses with more than 50 employees, boosting the availability of rapid testing further

The government is working closely with organisations across different sectors (both public and private) that are vital to the running of our country and where employees cannot work from home during lockdown.  Businesses are encouraged to sign up to rapid testing programmes that identify cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) in employees who are not showing symptoms.

Government says this will help stop the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) and ensure vital public and economic services can continue. It has now widened the criteria for joining the workplace rapid testing programme from businesses with more than 250 employees, to businesses with more than 50 employees.

Around one in three people who have coronavirus (COVID-19) have no symptoms and may be unknowingly spreading the virus. Health Secretary Matt Hancock said:

“Employers should regularly test their staff, and this drive across government to raise awareness and encourage more businesses to introduce rapid testing for employees is incredibly important … I strongly urge businesses and employees across the country to take up this offer of rapid testing to help stop this virus spreading further.”