Coronavirus tests for UK key workers were booked up via the government’s website within an hour of it reopening, apart from some in Scotland.
Home testing kits were unavailable less than 15 minutes after the site reopened on Saturday, while drive-through sites in England were booked up within an hour.
The site had closed on Friday, after 46,000 people tried to access it – with 5,000 home kits ordered and 15,000 appointments at drive-through centres arranged.
The government aims to reach 100,000 tests per day by the end of April and has said these will be available in batches from 08:00 BST each day.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast, the medical director of NHS England, Professor Stephen Powis said: “We are going at capacity, over 50,000 now. The aim is to get to 100,000 by Thursday.
“I would urge people who fit in that criteria, key workers, to go back onto the website as more appointments become available.”
