In a tweet, Ms Ford said that asymptomatic testing would be available to early years settings across England.
Otherwise known as lateral flow tests, these rapid testing kits provide much quicker results than standard tests, within 30 minutes and without needing to be sent to a lab.
They are used to identify those with Covid-19 who don’t show symptoms and could pass on the virus without realising, and are routinely used in care homes.
The Government said that the latest expansion of the testing programme builds on the millions of asymptomatic critical workers being tested every week, such as NHS patient-facing staff and care home staff.
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