Council staff with symptoms of COVID-19 will be able to get tested for the virus, the Government has announced.

Under plans to substantially increase testing capacity, the Government said all essential workers and their families in England will be able to get tested.

This includes local government staff critical to the effective delivery of the coronavirus response or delivering essential public services.

Employers will be able to register and refer self-isolating staff for testing or employees will be able to book a test directly for themselves or members of their household if they have symptoms.

A home delivery service, which ran out of tests just hours after being launched this morning, will also be available.

Secretary of state for health and social care, Matt Hancock, said: 'It's all part of getting Britain back on her feet.'