UK deployed more than 122,000 COVID-19 tests on last day of April

A swab to be used for testing novel coronavirus is seen in the supplies of Harborview Medical Center's home assessment team, Seattle, Washington, U.S., February 29, 2020. /Reuters

The UK deployed more than 122,000 COVID-19 tests on the last day of April, well above the government's target.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said in a briefing on Friday that the target of 100,000 tests per day was an "audacious goal", but testing was necessary "for getting Britain back on her feet".

The figure includes home test kits counted when they were dispatched, which may not have been processed.

The UK is one of the worst affected countries globally by the COVID-19 pandemic, having registered 27,510 fatalities.

In the last 24 hours, the country registered 739 deaths.

At Friday’s briefing, Hancock suggested the target had had a "galvanising effect" towards increasing testing capacity in the UK.

He added that the testing capacity would help the government in its quest to unlock the country.

Source(s): BBC