London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Oct 07, 2025

Covid testing system struggles to meet demand as cases surge across Britain

Covid testing system struggles to meet demand as cases surge across Britain

Twelve areas of England had limited or no PCR testing available as new infections in the UK exceeded 50,000 a day
The Covid-19 testing system in England is struggling to meet demand as cases surge across the country and availability of PCR tests dwindles.

As the UK recorded the highest number of cases since mid-January – at more than 50,000 a day – 12 regions reported very limited or no access at all to PCR tests.

Latest data revealed around one in 40 people in the North-East were likely to test positive for coronavirus. Testing sites in four parts of the region – Hartlepool, Durham, Stockton-on-Tees and Redcar and Cleveland – were reporting they had “very few available” PCR tests for residents.

In the South-West, there was a similar problem. Sedgemoor had no tests available for residents, while Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol, Mendip, and South Gloucestershire all reported having very few PCR tests available.

Somerset County Council, which has responsibility for local public health, said it was powerless in this situation. A spokesperson said: “We cannot control the availability of PCR tests as it is a national programme and tests are in high demand across the country.”

It advised residents wanting to be tested to keep trying as slots may become available later on in the day, or otherwise, order a home testing kit.

North Somerset saw 193 new infections, according to Public Health England data published on July 14 – its biggest daily total to date. Bath and North East Somerset reported 158, equalling its highest ever daily total. The same number of cases was reported on January 11.

Other areas that had limited access to PCR tests included Herefordshire, South Humberside and the Isle of Wight.

Testing in all regions of Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland remained available yesterday.

Meanwhile, data from the NHS Test and Trace weekly report revealed 63 per cent of Covid-19 tests taken in person at a testing centre were processed within the target of 24 hours, a fall from 77 per cent the week before.

The median time to receive a test result for the week of 1-7 July from regional test sites increased from 19 to 21 hours.

On Thursday morning the online test booking system suffered a technical glitch, with almost all regions of the country showing no PCR testing available, although home tests could still be ordered.

The glitch was reported to be due to a slight delay between Thursday afternoon slots being filled and Friday slots becoming available.

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “The testing and tracing being delivered across the country is saving lives every single day and stopping the spread of the virus by breaking chains of transmission and helping to control outbreaks wherever they exist.

“Anyone who has Covid-19 symptoms can book home-testing PCR kits and more booking slots are made available at testing sites each day.”
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Three Scientists Awarded Nobel Prize in Medicine for Discovery of Immune Self-Tolerance Mechanism
OpenAI and AMD Forge Landmark AI-Chip Alliance with Equity Option
Munich Airport Reopens After Second Drone Shutdown
France Names New Government Amid Political Crisis
Trump Stands Firm in Shutdown Showdown and Declares War on Drug Cartels — Turning Crisis into Opportunity
Surge of U.S. Billionaires Transforms London’s Peninsula Apartments into Ultra-Luxury Stronghold
Pro Europe and Anti-War Babiš Poised to Return to Power After Czech Parliamentary Vote
Jeff Bezos Calls AI Surge a ‘Good’ Bubble, Urges Focus on Lasting Innovation
Japan’s Ruling Party Chooses Sanae Takaichi, Clearing Path to First Female Prime Minister
Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs Sentenced to Fifty Months in Prison Following Prostitution Conviction
Taylor Swift’s ‘Showgirl’ Launch Extends Billion-Dollar Empire
Trump Administration Launches “TrumpRx” Plan to Enable Direct Drug Sales at Deep Discounts
Trump Announces Intention to Impose 100 Percent Tariff on Foreign-Made Films
Altman Says GPT-5 Already Outpaces Him, Warns AI Could Automate 40% of Work
Singapore and Hong Kong Vie to Dominate Asia’s Rising Gold Trade
Trump Organization Teams with Saudi Developer on $1 Billion Trump Plaza in Jeddah
Manhattan Sees Surge in Office-to-Housing Conversions, Highest Since 2008
Switzerland and U.S. Issue Joint Assurance Against Currency Manipulation
Electronic Arts to Be Taken Private in Historic $55 Billion Buyout
Thomas Jacob Sanford Named as Suspect in Deadly Michigan Church Shooting and Arson
Russian Research Vessel 'Yantar' Tracked Mapping Europe’s Subsea Cables, Raising Security Alarms
New York Man Arrested After On-Air Confession to 2017 Parents’ Murders
U.S. Defense Chief Orders Sudden Summit of Hundreds of Generals and Admirals
Global Cruise Industry Posts Dramatic Comeback with 34.6 Million Passengers in 2024
Trump Claims FBI Planted 274 Agents at Capitol Riot, Citing Unverified Reports
India: Internet Suspended in Bareilly Amid Communal Clashes Between Muslims and Hindus
Supreme Court Extends Freeze on Nearly $5 Billion in U.S. Foreign Aid at Trump’s Request
Archaeologists Recover Statues and Temples from 2,000-Year-Old Sunken City off Alexandria
China Deploys 2,000 Workers to Spain to Build Major EV Battery Factory, Raising European Dependence
Speed Takes Over: How Drive-Through Coffee Chains Are Rewriting U.S. Coffee Culture
U.S. Demands Brussels Scrutinize Digital Rules to Prevent Bias Against American Tech
Ringo Starr Champions Enduring Beatles Legacy While Debuting Las Vegas Art Show
Private Equity’s Fundraising Surge Triggers Concern of European Market Shake-Out
Colombian President Petro Vows to Mobilize Volunteers for Gaza and Joins List of Fighters
FBI Removes Agents Who Kneeled at 2020 Protest, Citing Breach of Professional Conduct
Trump Alleges ‘Triple Sabotage’ at United Nations After Escalator and Teleprompter Failures
Shock in France: 5 Years in Prison for Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
Tokyo’s Jimbōchō Named World’s Coolest Neighbourhood for 2025
European Officials Fear Trump May Shift Blame for Ukraine War onto EU
BNP Paribas Abandons Ban on 'Controversial Weapons' Financing Amid Europe’s Defence Push
Typhoon Ragasa Leaves Trail of Destruction Across East Asia Before Making Landfall in China
The Personality Rights Challenge in India’s AI Era
Big Banks Rebuild in Hong Kong as Deal Volume Surges
Italy Considers Freezing Retirement Age at 67 to Avert Scheduled Hike
Italian City to Impose Tax on Visiting Dogs Starting in 2026
Arnault Denounces Proposed Wealth Tax as Threat to French Economy
Study Finds No Safe Level of Alcohol for Dementia Risk
Denmark Investigates Drone Incursion, Does Not Rule Out Russian Involvement
Lilly CEO Warns UK Is ‘Worst Country in Europe’ for Drug Prices, Pulls Back Investment
Nigel Farage Emerges as Central Force in British Politics with Reform UK Surge
×