Sheffield mum tells of frustration as she can’t get a coronavirus test for her poorly lad

Jo Muscroft is desperate for confirmation that her 14-year-old has not got Covid-19 after he suddenly developed a cough.

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But she has been unable to book a test for him via the Government’s website despite repeatedly trying to get a slot since 7.30am on Monday.

As a result, her son and two other boys are not able to go to school – and she and her husband are also having to stay at their Beauchief home.

Many people across England have reported that they are struggling to access coronavirus tests – but the Government insists ‘capacity is the highest it has ever been’.

Jo, 47, told The Star: “It’s so frustrating.

“It’s absolutely ridiculous that we and so many other people are in this situation.

“Schools have only been back for a couple of weeks and already there are clearly a lot of problems with people getting tests – it’s not good enough.

“It’s going to be a long autumn and winter.

“I’d urge the Government to really get on top of all this and make more tests available.”

Sheffield City Council is urging residents to be persistent when it comes to booking a Covid-19 test.

A spokesperson for the authority said: “If you can’t get a test on the day, try again later or try the next day.”

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Star: “NHS Test and Trace is working – our capacity is the highest it has ever been and our laboratories are processing more than a million tests a week.

“We are seeing a significant demand for tests but if you have symptoms we urge you to get tested.

“New booking slots and homes testing kits are made available daily and you can help protect yourself if you wash your hands, cover your face and make space.

“We are targeting testing capacity at the areas that need it most, including those where there is an outbreak, as well as prioritising at-risk groups and we recently announced new laboratory facilities and new technology to process results even faster.”

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