Everyone aged five and over with coronavirus symptoms is now eligible for a test

A medical worker explains to an essential worker about a testing kit for the novel coronavirus COVID-19 at a drive-in testing facility (Photo by DANIEL LEAL-OLIVAS/AFP via Getty Images) | Getty Images

Everyone aged five and over is now eligible to be tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms of the disease – which now includes a loss of taste or smell.

The UK’s chief medical officers added anosmia as an official symptom of Covid-19 this week, other symptoms include a continuous cough or high fever.

Anyone suffering from these symptoms is instructed to self-isolate for seven days with any members of the same household advised to stay at home for 14 days in an attempt to reduce transmission.

Previously only essential workers, the over-65s and individuals who live with them could apply for coronavirus testing on the NHS website if they were showing symptoms.

Now anyone age five or over and showing symptoms is eligible to be tested. To apply for a test, visit https://www.nhs.uk/ask-for-a-coronavirus-test and put in your name and phone number.

There are options for a home testing kit or a drive-through test as home tests have limited availability.

After entering your details, you will then be sent a text message with an activation code and further details to enter on gov.uk. For drive-through testing, you will have to enter your name, email address, postcode, car license plate number and select a time slot.

The Ikea Gateshead car park is the North East’s primary drive-through testing site. Mobile testing units are also in Hexham and Berwick Upon Tweed.

The expansion will drastically increase the number of people who can get tested for coronavirus across the UK as the Government attempt to track the spread of the disease in order to ease lockdown measures.

Health Secretary Hancock said he was "expanding eligibility for testing further than ever before" as the Government aims to have the capacity to carry out 200,000 tests per day by the end of May.

"I can announce to the House that everyone aged five and over with symptoms is now eligible for a test," Mr Hancock told MPs on Monday.

"That applies right across the UK in all four nations from now."

The Department of Health confirmed that children aged under five who are showing symptoms will be offered tests when early years settings reopen on June 1 at the earliest.

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Everyone aged five and over with coronavirus symptoms is now eligible for a test – this is how to apply

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide high quality and trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards in the world. But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news and information by buying a copy of our newspaper.

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