Covid19: Test and trace success rate stays near record low
An improvement in the country’s test and trace system is barely happening, according to new data out just now.
Of the 327,203 people identified as coming into close contact with someone who had tested positive between 22 October and 28 October, 59.9% were reached and asked to self-isolate.
That’s only a minor improvement from the record low proportion of 59.6% reported two weeks ago.
Separately, positive Covid-19 cases in England are up 8% on the previous week, the country’s test and trace scheme said, but that’s slower that the previous week’s 23% rise,
The NHS test and trace programme, overseen by Tory peer and former TalkTalk chief Dido Harding has repeatedly come under fire for it poor success rate and growing cost.
Over the weekend it was revealed the NHS test and trace app was set at an incorrect sensitivity and missed sending out alerts to self isolate to people it should have.
This was mainly a problem for those using Android smartphones.