Over 20,000 people in close contact with virus cases went untraced
Only 74% of people who tested positive for Covid-19 were contacted and asked to provide details of their recent contacts, new data from NHS Test and Trace programme has shown.
There were 27,125 people referred to the contact tracing system within the first four weeks of its operation, but only 20,039 of them were reached and asked to share details of who they might have infected. Of those not contacted, 6,245 had given their details, while 841 people had not.
Through those who the programme did reach, 153,442 people were identified as recent close contacts of people who had tested positive for coronavirus. However the data showed the tracing system was only able to reach 86% (132,525) of them to tell them to self-isolate.
The remaining 20,917 people (14%) were identified as close contacts, but were not reached. For some of them, this was because no communication details had been provided.
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New figures also revealed that three-quarters of people who have taken a home test for Covid-19 have waited longer than 48 hours for the result, while 21% waited more than 72 hours.
Fewer than one in 10 people (7%) got a result within 24 hours of taking a home test, while 15% got a result within 24 to 48 hours. The data comes as government scientists emphasised that test results should come back within 24 hours to ensure the NHS Test and Trace system can be as effective as possible.
In the seven days to June 24 – the most recent data available – 56% of people taking a home test waited more than 48 hours for a result, while 31% waited between 24 and 48 hours, and 9.3% received a result within 24 hours.
Home testing kits have now become more popular, with daily figures showing that 100,243 of all 226,398 tests undertaken were done at home. But those who go to regional test sites, including drive-through or walk-through centres, are more likely to get fast results, with 36% of people getting responses within 24 hours.
The figure for the week ending June 24 was 72%, up from 19% in the first week of Test and Trace.
While those who had tests taken at mobile testing units, such as workers at care homes, police stations and prisons, just 18% received their results within 24 hours during the first four weeks of the programme. The weekly breakdown of these numbers shows a jump from 5% of people in week one to 61% of people in week four.
Number 10 have now defended the results of NHS Test and Trace, stating that they will continue improving the system as time goes on. A spokesperson for Boris Johnson said: ‘It is a new, large-scale service designed to help us to contain the virus.
‘We have now reached more than 130,000 people who may otherwise unknowingly have spread the virus. But we have always said that we will continue making improvements as we go along so that we do reach more people, more quickly.
‘We are working hard to reach people, by sending reminders, making the service more accessible by opening new walk-in local testing centres, increasing translation services and concentrating calls at the times that work best for the public.’
They added: ‘We do also need the public to continue to play their part, providing vital information to Test and Trace to help to protect families, communities and ultimately to save lives.’
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