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Leading early years organisation the Early Years Alliance has welcomed today’s announcement from health secretary Matt Hancock that childcare professionals and other key workers with coronavirus symptoms are to be prioritised for testing.

Speaking at today’s 5pm press conference, the health secretary announced that all essential workers  "who need a test" will be able to book a coronavirus test online both for themselves and members of their households as of today.

Welcoming the announcement, Neil Leitch, chief executive of the Alliance, said:

“Childcare professionals, like many other key workers, continue to put themselves at risk in order to ensure that care is available to vulnerable and key worker children at this difficult time.

"It is absolutely right therefore that the government prioritises testing for key workers with symptoms to enable them to clarify their medical status, and ensure that they are not kept away from their vital roles due to potentially unnecessary self-isolation.

"Of course, as with all such announcements, the devil is in the detail. With a limited number of testing sites currently in operation, it remains to be seen how easy it will be for key workers like childcare practitioners to access tests. 

"Nevertheless, this is a positive step and one that we hope will go at least some way to addressing the staffing challenges that some settings have been facing."