Public Health England (PHE) has given the Swiss drugmaker Roche Holding AG approval for antibody tests to see if an individual has ever been infected with COVID-19, the Telegraph newspaper reported on Wednesday.
According to the Telegraph, Roche is ready to provide hundreds of thousands of tests to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), and the government is eager to accept as many kits as possible.
The purpose of antibody testing is to determine whether an individual has ever been exposed to the virus and has developed antibodies, meaning immunity to it.
According to US-based Johns Hopkins University, the United Kingdom has registered more than 230,900 cases of coronavirus, including over 33,200 deaths, which makes the UK the most virus-affected country in Europe.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced on Sunday that the government was ready to begin relaxing the lockdown measures that were put into force on 23 March after a spike in coronavirus disease cases was observed.