Millions of “ground-breaking” rapid coronavirus tests will be rolled out to hospitals, care homes and labs across the UK to increase testing capacity ahead of winter. The tests will enable clinicians and the NHS to quickly test and trace to stop any future spread of the virus.

A recent study suggests measures already taken to limit transmission in care homes and hospitals had been working effectively through early July, with continued reduction of the virus, even while some restrictions were eased in May and June.

The two new tests—both able to detect the virus in just 90 minutes—will be made available to NHS hospitals, care homes and labs. The 2 tests will be able to detect both COVID-19 and other winter viruses such as flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), yet do not require a trained health professional to operate—meaning they can be rolled out in more non-clinical settings.