How the UK can get its catastrophic coronavirus testing under control

By Clare Wilson

QR codes are used to scan in samples at a new testing centre in Glasgow

Andrew Milligan/Pool/AFP via Getty images

THIS month, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced an ambition to increase the country’s capacity for coronavirus testing to several million tests a day.

Billed as Operation Moonshot, the idea was received with widespread incredulity. The UK is currently failing to meet demand for coronavirus testing, with roughly half a million daily requests outstripping supply by up to fourfold.

Yet there are also reports of new technologies in development that could make testing faster and cheaper. If the UK …