The UK government apologized after a new booking website for coronavirus tests ran out of supply within minutes of opening.
The web portal launched on Friday as part of a plan to massively expand testing for Covid-19, following weeks of criticism over ministers’ response to the crisis.
But the 5,000 home testing kits that were available on the first day of the program were snapped up within two minutes, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesman, James Slack, told reporters on a conference call Friday.
The website closed for applications once another 15,000 testing slots available at drive-through centers had been allocated, he said. “The system is working, people are booking slots and they are now going to be able to do tests," Slack said.