LONDON – The British government’s new online system for “essential workers” and their families to book appointments for coronavirus tests got off to an inauspicious start Friday.
Barely three hours after launching, the link stopped accepting applications for the day following “exceptional demand” and said more tests, both for drive-through sites and home delivery, will be made available Saturday.
Clicking on the link, aspiring applicants were greeted with the brief message: “Coronavirus test: capacity reached for today.” In a tweet, the Department of Health and Social Care apologized for any inconvenience caused and said it is “continuing to rapidly increase availability." The self-referral site is a key element of the government's plan to