A severe shortage of Covid tests across the region is thwarting efforts to encourage people to get swabbed before enjoying New Year celebrations.
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Boris Johnson has suggested that people should go ahead with their festivities this Friday evening, but that they should take tests beforehand to check they do not have Covid.
However, pharmacists have warned of major problems in the supply of lateral flow kits, with many people wanting tests being turned away empty handed. At the same time, people have been struggling to book PCR tests in the region.
Demand has spiked after testing replaced self-isolation for contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases, while people attending venues and sports events and returning to work following the Christmas break has also added to demand.
Additional demand has come from those who want to follow government advice to test themselves before heading out on New Year's Eve, or to mark the end of the year indoors with friends and family.
Ministers are now scrambling to secure supplies of tests but have acknowledged a worldwide supply issue is hitting the UK as people struggle to get kits through pharmacies or delivered to their home.
The NHS website showed no PCR tests were available for home delivery - even for essential workers on Wednesday. Home delivery slots for lateral flow tests were also unavailable.
Tony Dean, chief officer for Norfolk Local Pharmaceutical Committee, which represents all 158 community pharmacies in the region, said they were experiencing “incredibly high demand”.
He said: “The pharmacies are getting stock but unfortunately the demand is completely outstripping supply. If pharmacies do get a delivery in a morning it has gone within two or three hours.
“Quite rightly is that people should be testing in accordance with the guidelines but right now that is very challenging when supply is so limited.
“I’m afraid it is just a case of people needing to be persistent in keeping trying. Pharmacies are doing all their utmost and are trying to order stock at every opportunity they can, but at the moment the supply chain just cannot keep up.”
The Association of Independent Multiple Pharmacies said chemists were being forced to turn patients away empty-handed because of low supplies.
Chief executive Leyla Hannbeck said: "Pharmacies are reporting that every five minutes approximately somebody comes into the pharmacy asking for a test.”
Maziar Moaddabi, owner of Vauxhall Street Pharmacy in Norwich, said: “Demand has been incredibly high this week.
“We try to just give one per customer but just today we’ve given out 127 kits but probably had to turn away dozens of customers who wanted tests.
“We have ordered more but we’ve been told it might take three days so it might not be until Monday or maybe if we’re lucky Friday.”
The UK Health Security Agency has insisted nearly 900,000 test kits are being provided per day - which is double the supply seen before December 18 - but Ms Hannbeck said deliveries have been "patchy".
"People are doing the responsible thing by wanting to be tested and we are in the Christmas area of time, and the New Year is just around the corner and people want to be with family and friends,” she said.
Work and Pensions minister Chloe Smith, MP for Norwich North, said people should "persevere" in their efforts to secure tests despite patchy supply.
"I quite understand that people will be wanting to make sure that the testing kits are there - that follows on from people having been doing the right thing in being cautious and in wanting to be tested, perhaps before big events or family gatherings,” she said.
"What I would say is to please persevere with either making use of your friendly local pharmacy or using the delivery method.
"Even whilst there have been periods of great demand on that, and every so often we've had to replenish the means behind the scenes there, that is happening and the delivery is occurring."
Demand for PCR tests for those with Covid symptoms has also risen. During periods on Wednesday the NHS website showed no appointments available in the East of England though slots have since become available.
Some test sites across the county, including Great Yarmouth, have seen lengthy queues.
Meanwhile the next available appointments for the Norfolk Covid Community Testing, which offers observed symptom-free tests with trained staff at mobile units across the county, including in Norwich at sites Thetford, Great Yarmouth, King’s Lynn, are from January 4.
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