Criteria for joining the workplace testing programme is reduced to businesses with more than 50 employees, boosting the availability of rapid testing further. Previously the scheme was only open to businesses with more than 250 staff.

The government is working closely with organisations across different sectors where employees cannot work from home during lockdown, from transport networks to food manufacturers, to encourage them to sign up to rapid testing programmes that identify cases of covid-19 in employees who are not showing symptoms.

The scheme uses rapid lateral flow tests and is designed to provide safer working environments. The testing provision will be available until 31 March.

Many employers have already taken up the offer of rapid, regular workforce testing, with 112 UK organisations across almost 500 sites joining government backed rapid testing.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: ‘To save lives and protect the NHS, we have again asked for everyone to work from home. But we know that for some this is not possible, which is why the workplace rapid testing programme is so important.

‘Employers should regularly test their staff, and this drive across government to raise awareness and encourage more businesses to introduce rapid testing for employees is incredibly important. When you consider that around one in three people have the virus without symptoms and could potentially infect people without even knowing it, it becomes clear why focusing testing on those without symptoms is so essential.’

More than 2.5 million tests have been distributed across the public and private sectors so far, and an online portal has been launched to make it easier for businesses in the private sector to get involved and find out more about offering rapid testing in the workplace.

Registration portal to order coronavirus tests for employees