Test and trace unable to reach quarter of positive cases

Data shows that the government’s contact-tracing programme failed to reach a quarter of people who tested positive for coronavirus in England between 18 and 25 June.

According to the Department of Health and Social Care, only 75 per cent of the 6,183 people who tested positive for coronavirus during this period were contacted by NHS Test and Trace staff. This means that 1,544 people with the virus – and potentially thousands of their close contacts – could not be traced by the new system.

Of those successfully reached, 3,497 people (75.4 per cent) provided details for one or more of their recent close contacts, allowing tracers to identify a further 23,028 people who had potentially been exposed to the virus. But, just under three-quarters of these were reached and asked to self-isolate.

In total, the figures show that of the almost 27,000 people who have been referred to the tracing programme since it began at the end of May, nearly 74 per cent have been reached and asked to provide details of contacts.

The Test and Trace data does not include the total turnaround time for a person with suspected symptoms to get tested and then be contacted by tracers. The government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies says that this needs to be done within 48 hours of symptoms appearing, allowing laboratories to complete tests and report results within 24 hours so contact tracers can speak to those infected and receive details of contacts.