Britain will be issuing immunity certificates to people who have already contracted COVID-19 and recovered, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said.
Addressing a press conference at Downing Street, he spoke about testing kits and plans to combat coronavirus. Asked whether 100,000 tests per day were possible, he said it would happen, adding that this was what the country needed.
"How people who have had the disease have got the antibodies and then have immunity can show that and therefore get back as much as possible to normal life," Hancock said.
The UK has ordered several antibody tests but so far they have been said to be ineffective. The government is yet to approve testing kits. The kits have been giving rise to a lot of doubts but at the same time some countries have used them with success. Spain recently sent back kits to China after they turned out to be inconsistent.
Germany is also working on a plan to start issuing immunity certificates to people who have contracted coronavirus.
'Pretty unpleasant'
Hancock told BBC Breakfast on Friday that he felt like he had a "glass stuck in his throat" when he contracted the disease. He explained the situation as "pretty unpleasant". He said he is in full health now and was able to return to work.
When asked if he thought he was immune to the disease now, he said he was unsure. Hancock is said to be continuing with social distancing measures to make sure that he does not contract the virus again.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who tested positive for the virus last week, is still in isolation. Downing Street had confirmed that Johnson was still showing signs of the disease.
