Brexit latest news: Schools and parents to join coronavirus testing priority list, hints minister

Coronavirus latest news: Bolton hospital pleads 'don't come to A&E;' after being overwhelmed by requests for tests Government cracks down on early release for killers Boris Johnson signals compromise with Tory rebels on Brexit Bill Rule of six is damaging, Welby warns PM Testing chaos 'puts children at back of queue' Subscribe to The Telegraph Children, their parents and teachers could be top of the list to get coronavirus tests after frontline NHS and social care workers, a minister has hinted. Until now, the Government has said anyone who needs a test can get one, but yesterday Matt Hancock admitted that, for the first time in months, tests would be rationed "once again" amid widespread shortages. The Health Secretary told MPs that people with acute clinical needs – such as hospital patients – and those in social care would be prioritised, as he acknowledged "operational challenges" in the system. However this has provoked fears that it could put the country into "lockdown by default" if children and their parents cannot get tests. This morning Robert Buckland, the Justice Secretary, said: "All of us who know and have been here through testing will know it has to be NHS first and then social care. "And then I think what we need to do is have a cascading system where we know where our priority should be and for me priority should be for children in school and their parents in order to ensure their lives are safe and also importantly they are not disrupted in the way we are seeing." He later told BBC Breakfast that testing at schools would be prioritised because of "the importance of education" and the "knock-on effect on parents" that quarantine would have. "A very sensible outline is coming," Mr Buckland said. Follow the latest updates below.

source https://news.yahoo.com/brexit-latest-news-schools-parents-193434368.html