Let's Make Test And Trace Work...it's Our Duty

Britons have a “civic duty” to co-operate with the new NHS test-and-trace system, the Health Secretary has declared.

- Macer Hall

Matt Hancock insisted the national effort to identify and isolate anyone infected with coronavirus will be “world-class”, despite just two-thirds of new patients being tracked down in its first week.

Some 15 per cent of those identified as being in contact with the cases could not be reached or refused to self-isolate.

He said that the operation will become the country’s “radar” for detecting the epidemic’s spread after beating his expectations during its initial stages.

But he refused to rule out making compliance with the system compulsory if too many people decline to voluntarily self-isolate when told to do so by NHS contact tracers.

“You have your part to play, you must isolate and get a test,” the Health Secretary said in an appeal to anyone who is contacted through the system.

Critical

“You must work with Test and Trace to identify who you have been in contact with – and if you are asked to isolate you must do so.

“I would even go so far as to say that participation with Test and Trace is your civic duty. Please do it to protect your loved ones, your community, to protect your nation and to protect the NHS.”

Data for the first week since NHS Test and Trace was launched showed 8,117 people who tested positive for coronavirus had their case transferred to the contact-tracing system over the period, with 5,407 (67 per cent) providing details of recent contacts, while 2,710 (33 per cent) were not reached.